Alonso says F1 is no longer a sport after penalty

Sep 10, 2006, 13:23 GMT

Monza, Italy - Championship leader Fernando Alonso was still fuming Sunday after FIA dropped the Renault driver from fifth to 10th on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza for impeding Ferrari's Felipe Massa in Saturday's qualifying session.

'I am a sportsman. I love sport, I love the fans. I don't consider Formula One like a sport anymore,' said the 25-year-old Spaniard.

Max Mosley, president of motorsport's ruling body, reacted in a relaxed manner, saying: 'sportsmen always talk nonsense when they are emotionally charged.'

Race stewards nullified Alonso's best three laps in the final qualifying session for blocking Massa, dropping his lap time from 1 minute, 21.747 seconds to 1:25.688.

The move came after Ferrari made an official complaint.

'The data shows that Massa would have taken pole if he wasn't behind Alonso,' said Mosley. 'Massa did nothing wrong but lost a pole position. But Alonso didn't block him deliberately.'

Kimi Raikkonen in a McLaren-Mercedes toke pole for Sunday's race, pipping Ferrari's Michael Schumacher in what could be the German's final race weekend at Monza. The seven-time world champion is expected to announce that he is to retire at the end of the season after the race.

Alonso, the defending champion, goes into Sunday's race, the 15th of 18 of the season, with a 12-point lead over Schumacher in the overall standings.