Fernando Alonso could only be ninth after suffering a run off the track in Q1. After a penalty for Pierre Gasly for disturbing Sainz and Verstappen during qualifying, Fernando will finally start eighth.
Fernando Alonso has explained the reason why he will start from further back than expected at the Spanish Grand Prix, after qualifying in ninth position when the Spaniard was expected to be fighting for the top three places. However, a host of circumstances and errors have prevented it.
The trigger for Alonso’s poor classification was precisely his first lap at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, when the asphalt was wet and in very challenging conditions. While preparing his first timed lap, the Asturian rider went off the track on the last lap, in which, despite being able to continue, he damaged the flat bottom.
Since then, the classification has been uphill for Aston Martin F1. At each lap, it was seen how he lacked rhythm, coming to fear elimination in Q2. Later, in the third phase of qualifying, the final one that marks the starting position in the race, Alonso made another mistake… which left him in ninth place on the grid.
After Gasly was penalized for bothering Sainz and Verstappen during qualifying, Fernando will finally start eighth.
Fernando Alonso’s miraculous save on the gravel 😱 Tremendous how he manages to control the car by counter-steering to avoid the wall#SpainDAZNF1 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/YAXt1nXKlN
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) June 3, 2023
Speaking to DAZN F1, Alonso explained: “In the end it was a bad Saturday, for my part more than anything. I put a wheel in the wet part and the car went away in the last corner. We damaged the flat bottom and lost performance It hurts a little more because it was on the warm-up lap.”
“It hasn’t been the best Saturday, let’s see if we have the best Sunday tomorrow. I’m optimistic for tomorrow, because we lost performance on the ground and also on the last lap I went off a bit on the wet part, but I came to get second with the touched car”, said Alonso.
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Fernando assured that for tomorrow he prefers rain, since “starting from behind, the more chaos there is, the better.”
If it doesn’t rain, all is not lost either, as caring for the Aston Martin AMR23 tires can make the difference and be a key factor in the possible comeback of the Spaniard, as well as a start that will also be very important. And Alonso has already made very good starts here, like the one in 2011.
As for the flat bottom, which the mechanics did not stop working on throughout the session, it will be replaced for tomorrow’s Grand Prix, with the aim of getting the car back in top condition. Is a comeback possible?
There is no doubt that, above all, the goal should be to get close to the top five. After all, there are two cars out of position, such as Hülkenberg’s Haas (8th) and Lando Norris (3rd), which could lose positions as the race progresses, with the Aston Martin expected to be better.
However, George Russell (12th), Sergio Pérez (11th) or Charles Leclerc (19th) will come from behind… and staying ahead of them will be key, especially in the Drivers’ Championship, where Alonso has Checo only 12 points.
After a penalty for Pierre Gasly for disturbing Sainz and Verstappen during qualifying, Fernando will finally start eighth.
