Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso criticized Williams' Alex Albon after a first-lap collision at the United States Grand Prix, calling the quality of drivers in the bottom third of the grid "very low." Albon attempted to overtake Alonso for 12th place into Turn 11 but clipped the side of the Aston Martin, damaging both cars. Neither driver received a penalty, but Alonso finished 16th and Albon 17th. Alonso, who qualified 12th, believed he could have scored points without the damage, which cost him about half a second per lap.
He described the race as the team's strongest of the season in terms of competitiveness before it was ruined by the incident. Albon argued the collision was part of racing, noting Esteban Ocon was also involved on the outside. He enjoyed the racing and hoped Alonso felt the same after they battled again later in the race.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing