Max Verstappen celebrates as Lewis Hamilton looks dejected on the podium in Abu Dhabi
Former FIA race director Michael Massi was removed from his position following the controversial ending to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December

The governing body of Formula 1 has been accused of incompetence by Fernando Alonso.

There were incidents at the last race in Miami, but the Alpine driver made an oblique reference to the other issues this year.

He said he had not seen any improvement at the FIA despite its attempts to restructure.

The FIA was contacted for a response to Alonso's comments.

Alonso was given a penalty in Miami for going off the track for gaining an advantage. The five seconds added to his race time for cutting a chicane dropped him out of the points.

He said he gave back the time gained after the incident, but the stewards only looked at the fact that he had gone faster in the next section of the track, and failed to respond to Alpine showing them data to prove his point.

Alonso said it was unfair and incompetence from the stewards.

They weren't very professional. I gave back the time after I missed a corner. They saw the pink colour and took it without asking for proof.

They were packing up after we arrived back with the proof. We showed them the data and they were tied up because they had already issued the penalty. It was very bad. It is something that should not happen in F1 because of the professionalism and the standards that F1 has right now.

He was very critical of the race director at all five races this year.

Alonso pointed out that Wittich didn't respond to drivers' requests for an impact-absorbing barrier to be installed at a corner where Carlos Sainz crashed heavily in Friday practice in Miami.

Sainz was told that the impact was a freak accident and that a barrier was not needed.

On the same day, Ocon had an accident which damaged his car.

Alonso said he expected Eduardo Freitas to be an improvement on Wittich.

Alonso was asked if he had seen any improvement in the way that the rules were applied by the new race director, Michael Masi.

We saw a couple of things that showed we still need to improve.

You need to have some knowledge about racing before you can be a race director or try to watch a race.

There is a new race director. Freitas has more experience at the top level and that will help improve things.

Even after the accident in Miami with Carlos and Esteban, we pushed to have some barriers there, and nobody did anything. It is difficult to talk when you don't know anything about racing.

Ocon said he had spoken to Freitas in Spain this week and was told that there would be changes to the Miami track next year.

Drivers have been told they can't wear jewellery in the car because Wittich took a by-the-letter approach to the rules.

Alonso said that they need to keep improving and that they should be listened to.

In Miami and some other examples, the focus seems to be in another place.

Lewis Hamilton said in Miami that the new focus on jewellery and clothing was almost a step backwards and that the sport had bigger fish to fry.

Lando Norris said that Alonso is a guy you would listen to in terms of his experience in racing. If he says what he says, he probably has a point.

Alonso's comments come in the context of a widespread discontent among teams and commercial rights holders in F1 at some of the actions of the FIA this year.

The plan for the number of sprint races to be doubled to six next year was delayed by the new president of the FIA.

F1 is so unhappy that it has been quietly exploring ways to get the FIA out of running the sport.

Around the BBC - SoundsAround the BBC footer - Sounds