Drama at Aston Martin in Miami: Alonso surprises with SQ3 pace while Stroll blames Verstappen for a frustrating early exit.
Fernando Alonso didn’t expect to make it into SQ3, but the Spanish veteran will start 10th on the grid for Saturday’s Sprint — just two spots away from scoring points.
“It’s a bit surprising to qualify where we did,” Alonso admitted. “The car still feels unbalanced and isn’t completely consistent, but overall it was a solid day. This is our first time reaching SQ3 this season, so we’ll try to build on that. Only the top eight score points, but anything can happen. Hopefully, some chaos up front gives us a chance.”
For Lance Stroll, it was a frustrating afternoon. Knocked out in SQ1 and starting 16th, the Canadian didn’t hold back — especially when talking about Max Verstappen.
“Sprint qualifying didn’t go well for me. There was a lot of traffic on my final push lap, and I got unlucky with Verstappen down the last straight. He should get a penalty for that. I lost a few tenths because of it and just missed out on SQ2. Let’s see what the Sprint brings tomorrow. I’ll be ready if any chances come our way.”
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Alonso Shocks in SQ3 as Stroll Slams Verstappen Alonso Shocks in SQ3 as Stroll Slams Verstappen
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