In the round-up: A former F1 steward says he does not believe there is an anti-Spanish bias in sport.
In brief
No anti-Spanish bias says ex-steward
After Fernando Alonso suggested to Spanish media in Miami that Spanish drivers like him are more likely to get penalties for incidents than their rivals, Spanish former F1 steward Joaquin Verdegay does not agree.
“I don’t see that there is a persecution against the Spaniards,” Verdegay, the vice-president of the Real Federacion Espanola de Automovilismo (Spanish automobile federation), told Marca. “What there is is a lack of control and a loss of direction that worries and saddens me. Why have we stopped racing in the rain? And now there are these absurd races behind a Safety Car.
“Of course, Alonso’s complaints are legitimate. It is possible that the regulations are difficult to interpret, but he does not want everything that happens to be sanctioned. I would not have penalised Alonso in China, or Lewis Hamilton in Miami either.
“The races are more intended to be a party than a sporting spectacle, it gives the feeling that the Miami Grand Prix is a happening organised to sell nacho trays.”
Verstappen success ‘dangerous’ for F1
The promoter of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal has described Max Verstappen’s sustained success in Formula 1 as ‘dangerous’ for the health of the sport.
The world champion won 19 of 22 rounds last season and has finished first in four of the first six grands prix so far this year.
“In the long term, for the average racing fan, there is a disinterest,” said race promoter Francois Dumontier. “Unless you are a die-hard Verstappen fan.
“How many fans said they watched the start and then went to mow their lawn before returning in front of the screen for the end of the race? For sport, it’s dangerous.
“We have to admit that Max is good. He has incredible calm and is an excellent driver who makes very few mistakes, He also drives a very good car. I’m not sure that a driver driving behind at the back of the pack would be able to do the same thing in this car, which is very well tuned by the engineers.”
Da Costa quickest in Berlin practice
Porsche driver Antonio Felix da Costa set the pace in the opening practice session for the Berlin Eprix double-header on Friday.
Da Costa’s best of 1’02.289 was a tenth of a second ahead of Sergio Sette Camara’s ERT and Stoffel Vandoorne’s DS Penske in third.
Pascal Wehrlein failed to complete a lap around the revised…
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