The Aston Martin driver spent much of the race playing the team game in building up a gap for Lance Stroll, which the Canadian could use to ditch his medium tyres and preserve his position.
Alonso's understanding was that this was for the final point and, when Stroll picked up a puncture after knocking his left-rear tyre from the rim on the entry to the Nouvelle Chicane, the Spaniard believed the responsibility was his to rescue a point from the race.
