Fernando Alonso has hit out at Alex Albon after a collision on the opening lap of the United States Grand Prix, saying the quality of drivers in the bottom third of the grid "is very low."
The pair clashed after the Williams driver tried to pass Alonso at the Turn 11 hairpin at the Circuit of the Americas for 12th place.
The stewards decided not to hand out penalties, but it ultimately cost Alonso four places and left his Aston Martin with floor damage. He finished the race down in 16th, with no points on the board.
"Albon forgot that corner 11 was there and he had to turn left," Alonso said.
"I think when you start at the back there is this risk always. I think the quality of the drivers in the lower third of the grid is very low, as we saw today with Alex.
"So I think we need to improve the car and start a little bit higher up."
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Alonso felt that the damage to his car was causing him to lose half a second or more per lap and that he finished the race with "half a car."
"That was the biggest damage," he said. "I think we lost half a second or more [per lap]. The car is destroyed; I saw it in parc ferme. Half of the floor is not there. I don't know how we kept on going and how we were semi-competitive.
"I imagine if the car was in one piece, probably today the points were a strong possibility because we were running P12 with half a car."
Albon, who finished in 17th, believed he gave Alonso enough "space" but that he also got damage and was running with a broken wing.
"It felt like there was a car on the right side of Fernando," Albon said. "And he gave Fernando enough space as if he thought there was only one car on his inside. But then I was on the inside of Fernando.
"So then I think it pinched and I tried to get out of the way and get on the kerb. But I didn't make good of it. So I imagine he got damage. I know I got damaged as we were driving around with a broken wing for the race."