F1 News: Fernando Alonso flew faster than an aeroplane in America crash

Fernando Alonso's crash in America was frightfully fast.

Fernando Alonso has dominated headlines following the American GP. His dramatic incident, remarkable recovery into P7 and a subsequent post-race penalty have all contributed to the conversation.

The Spaniard demonstrated simply mesmerising skill and reflexes to keep his A522 machine from fully connecting the wall, as he corrected his car mid-air to minimise the impact following his contact. 

Alonso's reflexes also prevented his machine from rebounding across the track and potentially collecting other drivers behind in what could have been an even worse incident. 

In Formula 1's post-race show for the American GP, Sam Collins explained the full extent of Alonso's take-off:

"The car just stays with its nose very high, so you can see it just sticking up like this. 

"And the reason for that - I've had a look at the data - is because the speed of the car was 184 mph as it was pointing in the sky. 

"And if you want to know why it was pointing to the sky - well, that's the take-off speed of a Boeing 747. 

"It's actually faster than the take-off speed of something like a light aircraft; they actually take off at about 110 mph."

Such figures are not necessary to outline the severity of Alonso's incident, but these numbers still help to quantify the epic nature of the Double World Champion's COTA comeback. 

The question remains whether the FIA will overturn Fernando Alonso's penalty - or if his hard-earned P7 will be forever erased from the 2022 American GP final classification. 

Alonso deserves credit for controlling his own destiny here. Once he realizes he's airborne he brakes HARD (watch the front wheels lock) and the pitching moment from the rear wheel drag may be what keeps him from flipping over entirely. 👀#USGP 🇺🇲 #F1pic.twitter.com/NyfrWJNdHj

— Bryson Sullivan 🇺🇲 (@NaturalParadigm) October 26, 2022

Many would argue, regardless of the penalty, that nothing can take away the extraordinary skill Alonso demonstrated in America.

Still, in a season where the Spaniard's performances have often been met with unbefitting results, he will hope that the FIA overturns its decision. 

Alpine's battle with McLaren is also impacted by this penalty, with an initially minor loss to the Woking-based squad in America turning into a quite significant one after applying Alonso's penalty. 

The FIA will discuss the penalty with Alpine and Haas F1 Team representatives on Thursday, so a verdict will be reached before the Mexican GP weekend commences.