Alonso expects Verstappen to escape sanction for Hamilton clash

Fernando Alonso believes "nothing should happen now" despite Mercedes exercising its right to review the clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in Brazil.

On lap 48 of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen and Hamilton both ran off the track at turn four as the Dutchman defended the race lead from his F1 title rival.

Although noted by the stewards, the incident was never formally investigated but with Verstappen's onboard footage released on Tuesday, Mercedes will attend a hearing on Thursday after requesting its right to review.

The footage, Mercedes believe, will satisfy the criteria needed as "a significant and relevant new element" that was "unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned".

With Valtteri Bottas finishing just three seconds behind Verstappen, any penalty could alter the event result.

Alonso, however, does not expect Mercedes will be successful.

"An incident that is from the past race, nothing should happen now," said Alonso.

"I don’t know exactly if it was too bad but the stewards considered it was no penalty there, it will not be a penalty, I guess, now and nothing more to add.”

Conceding he has yet to see the incident himself, Alonso continued: “I came from Brazil straight here and I was part in the gym, part on the beach on all of these days, so I had no opportunity [to watch].

“But even if I look, in all honesty, I know there is a hearing or something today but I will not have an opinion because it is very different from time to time and I don’t know exactly what happened."

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