In a classification full of interruptions, plagued by red flags and changing weather conditions that extended the duration of the session, Fernando Alonso placed himself among the top five, taking advantage of the final situation that allowed him to ride calmly.
Plenary in Q3 So far this year for Fernando Alonso: 4 of 4 at the start of the 2022 season, something that his teammate Esteban Ocon cannot say after starting away from it in Bahrain and seeing himself out of the game already in Q1 in Imola.
Changing conditions and even 5! red flags they made the fourth classification of the year the strangest. An explosion in an Albon tire in Q1, Carlos Sainz in the gravel again in Q2, with the front suspension broken, and a Q3 with water after the respite that the clouds had given that ended with incidents of Magnussen, Bottas and Norris to conclude.
Despite a scare that forced him to abort his opening lap, first in line in the last round of qualifying, the #14 wasted no time in embarking on an adventure that would leave him 5th on the starting grid… from session to sprint. “It feels good to be in the top five after a tough qualifying with such changeable conditions and so many red flags,” Alonso said.
traced back to sprint?
“With the rain changing the asphalt all the time anything could happen, so in general i am happy», continued the Spaniard after scoring his best starting position so far this year.
After leaving his stamp on the weekends with format at sprint last year, when far fewer points were shared than on this occasion, Alonso has full confidence in what he can do on the track, battling head to head with some of his direct rivals.
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«the car was fast in the last two races, and here I feel quite comfortable with him”, added the Spaniard. From holding fifth position to sprintAlonso would add 4 points in his private locker thanks to the new organization of this format, double what he currently has after three unlucky races.
The 1:29.202 that he set in his last attempt in Q3 left him just 7 hundredths from the 3rd best recordwhich was finally in the name of Lando Norris after the young Brit caused the last red flag of the day by going straight for the escape.
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“Let’s see how it goes tomorrow, since there are points at stake sprint and on the run Sunday», concluded Alonso, aware that he can risk more than the others in these early stages of the season.