After a tough quali, Alonso vows to use his race smarts to salvage points for Aston Martin at a rain-threatened Suzuka.
Tough day for Aston Martin as Alonso qualifies 13th and Stroll starts last at the Japanese Grand Prix.
It was a frustrating Saturday for Aston Martin at Suzuka, with both drivers struggling in qualifying. Fernando Alonso managed to secure 13th place on the grid (after Carlos Sainz’s penalty), while Lance Stroll will start at the very back in 20th.
Alonso, who had shown promise on Friday, admitted the team couldn’t quite keep up as conditions shifted.
“I felt competitive yesterday, but with the change in wind direction, we lost a bit of speed today,” he said. “I was happy with my laps in qualifying — 14th in Q1, 13th in Q2 — that was realistically our pace. We’ve got work to do if we want to make it to Q3 in future.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race — where rain is a possibility — the two-time world champion remains hopeful.
“We’ll fight for points, rain or shine. The midfield is still very tight, and I’ll use all my race knowledge to get the most out of it.”
Alonso also tipped his hat to Max Verstappen, who stormed to yet another pole.
“Only he can do that. No one else can push that car to this level. That was a special moment for everyone watching.”
Meanwhile, Lance Stroll endured a disappointing qualifying session, ending up 20th after wind gusts caught him out.
“It was a tough one. Red flags in FP2 and FP3 meant we couldn’t really get a proper run on soft tyres, so we went into qualifying a bit blind,” he explained. “Then on my final push lap, a big gust of wind unsettled the car at Turn 6, and I ran wide. That ended our shot at Q2.”
Still, Stroll remains optimistic about turning things around.
“If the rain comes, we’ll try to take every opportunity we can in the race.”
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Alonso plots fightback as Aston Martin falters in Japan
Alonso plots fightback as Aston Martin falters in Japan