Alonso says Honda engine is hurting his chances before the race

“The missing tenth? It comes from the engine…” Fernando Alonso’s resigned remark summed up his difficulties ahead of the race. The fears surrounding the Spaniard and Aston Martin have been borne out, even on a circuit where the power unit was not expected to have such a strong influence.

Alonso failed to get through Q1 and was classified 17th. He could yet start 16th because of the penalty given to Russell. A pit-lane start is also being considered if a power-unit component is replaced. To score points, he would need the race to unfold in particularly chaotic fashion.

“It all comes from the engine. We had problems throughout the day, starting with the sprint race, and in qualifying we seemed to be losing a lot of time on corner exit. We need to check that the turbo is working properly; if it has to be changed, we’ll start from the back,” he explained. He also acknowledged that the extent of the losses was difficult to predict and that their cause needed investigating.

The change had been discussed between sessions, but a decision was left until qualifying. “Since we’re out in Q1, perhaps it’s easier,” he said. Starting from the pit lane or the back of the grid would mean “you need a chaotic race,” he added, conceding that hopes were lower.

Alonso believes the team is handling the elements within its control well and giving its best in the car. He also criticised the power teams have in votes on new ideas and formats, arguing that the leading teams want to make them “as boring as possible” to consolidate their points. Asked about the issue, he ended with a joke: “I can’t comment on that. Only when I retire. I hope I can change that.”