In a dramatic Formula 1 qualifying session, Fernando Alonso found himself seething with frustration after his teammate, Lance Stroll, disrupted his sprint shootout aspirations.
Alonso’s quest for a competitive lap in SQ2 was thwarted as he strategically waited until the final moments to take advantage of optimal track conditions, only to have his sole attempt halted by Stroll’s actions.
Taking a risk by opting for slick tires, Alonso’s gamble at Turn 9 went awry, resulting in a collision with the barriers.
The incident brought out the red flag, abruptly ending the session and denying any other driver the opportunity to improve their times, including Alonso.
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Addressing the media after the qualifying session, Alonso expressed deep dejection, acknowledging that the chances of scoring points in the upcoming sprint race appeared bleak, despite the possibility of unpredictable weather conditions.
“Yeah, we didn’t even start a lap, so yeah, there was no session for us,” Alonso told reporters, emphasising the frustration of not having a proper shot at securing a competitive time.
“Obviously, these are difficult conditions. You need to take some decisions, and yeah, we were on the risky side in Q2 – me leaving the garage very late and Lance trying the dry tyres,” he explained, shedding light on the strategic choices made by the team.
“And if he works, everything is fine. If he doesn’t work, there is a mistake.
“But no one has a crystal ball,” Alonso added, highlighting the uncertainty involved in such high-stakes decisions during challenging weather conditions.
While Alonso and Stroll finished the Sprint with a DNF and in 11th, the race on Sunday proved to be more profitable, as both men of the Aston Martin driver made it into the points.
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Alonso took home 10 points with a P5 finish, while Stroll took home 2 points in P9.
Despite the double points finish in the Grand Prix, Aston is still trailing Mercedes in the Constructors’ with 196 to the Silver Arrows’ 247.
Unfortunately for the two, Red Bull still has a runaway lead with 503 points, reinforcing their dominance in the new era of regulations.