Alesi Slams Briatore over Start Decision

Jordan driver Jean Alesi has blasted Benetton team boss Flavio Briatore after a controversial start to the Italian Grand Prix.

Alesi and the majority of the other drivers on the grid had agreed not to race competitively until after the second chicane on the opening lap, but Alesi believes that Briatore forced his drivers Jenson Button and Giancarlo Fisichella to race hard from the off.

Button then shunted Alesi's Jordan teammate Jarno Trulli out of the race at the first corner and the Frenchman has branded Briatore's action as "deplorable".

"This is deplorable," Alesi said. "It is completely wrong because this is a dangerous circuit. Briatore should not be doing this, he is not honest. I don't know why Renault put him in charge. It is completely wrong."

Italian Fisichella, who started the race from the pitlane and eventually finished 10th, revealed that he wanted to comply with the drivers' plans for the start of the race, but was prevented from doing so by Briatore.

"In this morning's meeting I was not in agreement but was prepared to go along with it," Fisichella said. "We should have discussed it on Thursday or Friday but I was happy to do it.

"But when I spoke to my team-boss he told me I worked for him and the team and that I had to make a race start like he wanted."