“One thing that is clear is that we never suggested a strike,” the Spaniard told
The Associated Press, whilst acknowledging that the first the drivers had heard about the price increase had been through the media. “We're just not happy about the way it was implemented. All of this talk of strike has just been rumours.
“For sure we are not happy about it – it's a big increase from one year to another. We're concerned about what may happen in the future; it's just not fair. We have asked to meet as soon as possible – this is an issue that needs to be handled quickly.
“We're not happy that the public knows about this; this is a private issue between the drivers and the
FIA.”
The FIA said its president
Max Mosley wrote to the drivers' association on 6 June in a bid to organise a meeting, but had yet to receive a reply.
F1 supremo
Bernie Ecclestone allegedly requested a post-qualifying meeting at Magny-Cours with GPDA stalwarts de la Rosa, Alonso,
Robert Kubica,
David Coulthard and
Mark Webber.
Former
McLaren team-mates Alonso and Hamilton, meanwhile, perhaps unsurprisingly took different viewpoints on the issue, with the latter insisting that he has no intention at all of not performing in front of his adoring home crowd at
Silverstone in two weeks' time.
“For sure it's one of the options we are talking about in the GPDA,” former double world champion Alonso said of the strike. “It's a ridiculous amount. We should pay a reasonable price. It cannot change 1,000 percent in a year.”
“I don't believe for one minute the drivers will take such drastic measures,” countered Hamilton. “We have the British Grand Prix in a couple of weeks' time and other grands prix to follow, and I'm certainly not planning on missing any of them.”
