Fernando Alonso repeated it. Repeatedly. He is trying to do the most with what is now the 9th or 10th car on the grid (of 10 teams in total) and that in the next races “will not change, we will be in line”. But he made it clear that the only thing he has to do is try to make the most of his opportunities. And this Sunday’s rain allowed him to aspire to more. Fernando, with one of the worst cars on the grid, performed the miracle of finishing with the best time in Q2 and entering Q3. But there, taking risks, he fought the protections.
The man from Oviedo wanted to escape the rain. It wasn’t easy for him because on Saturday it became clear that his car had less downforce than his rivals, suffering a lot in the corners with an out of control car. He and his team had to make changes for this Sunday’s qualifying (Saturday was postponed) and the race, both sessions with rain forecast.
Finally, qualifying was held in the wet and Alonso shone, making up for the weaknesses of his car in his hands in complex conditions, on a very slippery asphalt.
In Q1 he finished second on his first try, only to be overtaken by Ocon. And finally, he moved into Q2 in 10th place as he was unable to set a new record due to how good that first time was and the subsequent red flag from Colapinto. And in Q2, the Asturian finished with the 2nd best time surpassed by Norris by only 0.191, between the two McLarens, with an infinitely worse car and with less load.
Alonso went into Q3 full on, knowing there was nothing to hold back and that there was more to gain than to lose. And he went to it.
Already in conditions with intermediate tires, on a very slippery track where Sainz and Stroll had previously crashed on intermediate tires, Alonso tried it. More than trying, he pushed it, working magic on the edge of a cliff, knowing his car gave him no room for the slightest error. The line between glory and crash is very fine, more so than any other car. And finally, it has arrived. At turn 3, the man from Oviedo lost control of his car and went into the wall.
It happened on his second lap with intermediate rubber, when he was going for his time. He would start 9th, ahead of Stroll, who crashed shortly before.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
