Alonso calls 15th place “disappointing” after Singapore sprint qualifying

“Being so far back is disappointing,” Fernando Alonso said after sprint qualifying at the Singapore Grand Prix, where Aston Martin and its driver were brought back down to earth. The Spaniard thought his lap would be enough to reach SQ3, but the AMR26 had more problems than originally expected. He made it through to SQ2 and is expected to start from 15th; a fight for points therefore looks some way off.

Alonso had felt he had produced a better lap. “I had quite a lot of grip; the dust is always there, but it’s not a problem. The car was going well, with just a little understeer that we didn’t fix and need to improve. But the car is in the window,” he said. The Aston Martin driver made no excuses.

He identified two areas for progress: “We need aerodynamic load; that is the big penalty. We also need more power on the straights.” Alonso will have to fight from the back and look to make progress in the race, where the AMR26 often finds its best opportunities for positive results.