Motorsport: Lauda has harsh words for Alonso

BUDAPEST - Fernando Alonso may have blown his Hungarian Grand Prix hopes in a moment of madness that could also cost him the Formula One title, according to triple world champion Niki Lauda.

Renault's Alonso, 11 points clear of Ferrari's Michael Schumacher with six races remaining, was handed a two-second qualifying penalty for an incident with Red Bull test driver Robert Doornbos and ignoring warning flags in practice.

Race stewards slammed the 25-year-old world champion's behaviour as "unneccessary, unacceptable and dangerous".

The penalty left the Spaniard staring, at best, at a mid-grid starting position at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficiult.

"What happened yesterday was stupid, because he threw away most likely the race here and even the championship if he is unlucky," Austrian Lauda told reporters at the Hungaroring on Saturday.

"Now it depends on how strong is Alonso. If he now starts to crack -- and yesterday he cracked because under normal circumstances he would not do that -- and if the pressure builds up then he is a real normal human being and nobody special.

"Tomorrow will be the most difficult race he will fight because he will not make the top 10 for sure, he has to come from the back and here you cannot overtake," added the Austrian, a champion with Ferrari and McLaren.

"Let's wait and see how he copes with this situation and I hope he does not crack because this is what a world champion should not do."

Lauda, who lost the 1976 championship after leading Briton James Hunt by 35 points before a near-fatal crash, said Alonso's behaviour on Friday had not been worthy of his status.

"This is not the way a world champion should drive," he declared. "It is ridiculous what he did from my point of view."

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone agreed and backed the race stewards.

"I think it (the punishment) is right," he told Reuters. "What he did with the other guy was completely wrong and as he is a world champion, it's up to him to set an example to people.

"He could have waited. If he thought the guy had done something wrong...he at least should have waited and seen him in the paddock.

"As far as the yellow flags are concerned, that was a little bit over the top considering he had already got a one second penalty. It was when the practice had finished. I think that was a bit harsh."

Renault team boss Flavio Briatore, already critical of the governing body for a technical ruling that has hit his team, refused to comment on Alonso's punishment.

- REUTERS