Fernando Alonso blames 'new generation' over major F1 issue

Fernando Alonso has explained how recent developments in F1 have contributed to the issue of visibility during wet races.

The Aston Martin driver identified the wider tyres, used since 2017, as one cause of the current problem, as well as the newer types of tarmac used by circuits, which he described as "like a mirror" in adverse conditions.

With the Belgian Grand Prix delayed by 80 minutes, the subject of safety in wet weather was a key topic on media day for the subsequent round in Hungary.

The two-time F1 drivers' champion addressed the decisions made at Spa-Francorchamps by race control, defending the decision to err on the side of caution.

When asked whether he felt the visibility issues that saw the first formation lap start behind the safety car, and then red flagged, have worsened over recent years, Alonso agreed.

"I think, yes," he told media, including RacingNews365. "I think probably since 2017, with that set of regulations and the wide tyres, the visibility is worse.

"But [it is a] really difficult topic. We all want to race. If we are alone [on track], we can race; there is no problem. If you are in a group of cars, you cannot see anything.

"And we had, unfortunately, too many bad examples, especially at Spa, of poor visibility and very big accidents.

"We all want to be brave, we all want to be racing, and the spectators at home [want that] as well. But then, when an accident happens, we remember that there is nothing really wrong with waiting another half an hour. Unfortunately, this is the way it is."

A possible solution?

The 44-year-old highlighted how the newer style of asphalt, which is popular with many circuits, further contributes to the issue.

Alonso pointed out how F1 used to race in monsoon-like conditions in places like Malaysia, before suggesting getting the tarmac right should be a priority, even if it causes issues in the dry, which he feels can then be addressed.

"I think the wide tyres definitely made visibility worse, and probably some of the asphalt at the circuits, they are a little bit different than what they've been in the past, because we raced with a lot of water in Sepang [Malaysia], in different circuits, and it was always okay," the 32-time grand prix winner added.

"And now this new generation of asphalt, which is very black and very grippy in dry conditions, is like a mirror in wet conditions, and visibility is not nice, but I don't know what we can do there with what the tyres can do on very rough tarmac.

"I've said many times that there are some highways that have zero spray. So if we implement that tarmac in all the circuits, as a normal rule, we will have zero spray.

"Then it will be huge degradation, probably in dry conditions. I don't know. But then we can work from that and have a starting point, but I'm just a driver."