Fernando Alonso’s qualifying performance at Suzuka saw him initially set the second-fastest time in Q1, but he slipped to fifth place in both Q2 and Q3. Despite this, he was impressed with the pace improvement from Aston Martin’s car updates, which exceeded expectations.
During Friday practice, Alonso ran with the previous car package while his teammate Lance Stroll tested the upgrades for comparison before both drivers switched to the new package, focusing on revised sidepod and floor area changes.
Alonso expressed surprise at the competitiveness of the car in qualifying, being only a couple of hundredths behind Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and with Charles Leclerc behind him. He noted the significant progress made since their position six months ago, now being only four tenths from pole position.
However, Alonso remains cautious about maintaining fifth place in the grand prix, expecting strong challenges from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who start directly behind him.
Reflecting on the team’s performance in the first three races, Alonso acknowledged their strength in qualifying but admitted they haven’t been as strong on Sundays. He anticipates the possibility of being overtaken during the race and falling back to their typical position.
Nonetheless, he remains open to whatever the race brings and is proud of the team’s performance in qualifying, acknowledging that Sunday is another day.
Alonso agreed with the observation that the F1 pack has closed up in qualifying, but he highlighted Red Bull’s clear advantage in race pace.
He noted the closeness of the field in qualifying, with drivers like Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas being only three tenths away, but he emphasized that the true pace of the cars is revealed on Sunday. Alonso suggested that the team’s struggles on Sundays might be due to masking some problems with the car on Saturdays, possibly related to tyre grip and other factors.