Alonso urges his team to focus on the Honda engine

“Focus on the engine!” Over the radio, Fernando Alonso urged his team to concentrate on the Honda power unit as his comeback at the Singapore Grand Prix was being held back. The Spaniard finished 11th in the sprint race, which took place in the rain, after gradually climbing through the field.

A lack of power on corner exits left him unable to stay close to Gasly and other midfield cars, including those from Audi and Haas. “I have no power on the exits, I’ve lost positions,” he said. He also asked his team to consider retiring so they could change the engine before qualifying: “Think about whether we retire now and change the engine before qualifying. That way we have time.”

Alonso also discussed the decision that came late in difficult track conditions. He described it as conservative, but the right call for a first run in those conditions. By the time they returned, the track was drying, making it very difficult to experiment with intermediate tyres.

The comeback fell short: Haas, with Bearman, and Audi, with Hülkenberg, managed it, unlike Alonso. Even the McLarens, despite being faster, did not create an opportunity for him to reach the points. “We needed someone ahead of us to retire. We started 15th, I finished 11th… but it wasn’t enough to score points,” he concluded.