Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso will start eighth for the Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix on Saturday. Alonso was one of numerous drivers who struggled to switch on his tyres in SQ3.
The rules mandated the drivers to use the medium tyres in the first two segments of the session, and then softs for the top-10 shoot-out. But the red-marked tyres didn’t yield the expected grip in Miami.
Even the pole-sitter Max Verstappen admitted over team radio that his lap felt ‘terrible’. Verstappen gained three and a half tenths from his best effort in SQ2.
Charles Leclerc (second), Daniel Ricciardo (fourth), Carlos Sainz (fifth) and Oscar Piastri (sixth) also managed to improve. But everyone else was surprisingly slower.
The drop-off was most dramatic for Lando Norris, who looked a strong contender for pole after topping the first two instalments in his heavily-upgraded McLaren. Instead, he starts a hugely disappointing ninth after losing nearly a second.
With track temperatures soaring above 45 degrees, most seemed to struggle for grip. Still, it was Lance Stroll who did a better job at adapting down at Aston Martin.
Stroll lapped just over three-hundredths quicker than Alonso to beat him in a qualifying session for just the second time this season. The last time this happened was at the Australian Grand Prix in March, when Aston locked out the fifth row.
Jenson Button on Fernando Alonso demeanour after qualifying
Alonso cut a frustrated figure when he spoke to F1TV after the session. Looking ahead to the sprint race, he said it ‘means nothing’ because he ‘cannot fight’ with other drivers.
And speaking on Sky Sports F1, his former teammate Jenson Button noticed something familiar about the Spaniard’s demeanour. He says it’s easy to tell when the two-time world champion has lost out to his teammate.
Button raced alongside for two seasons in 2015 and 2016 at McLaren. During that period, he edged him on a Saturday 13 times.
“If you didn’t watch qualifying, and you interviewed Fernando, you would know that he got out-qualified by his teammate,” he said. “You always know with Fernando if he’s been out-qualified by his teammate.”
Aston Martin fail in Fernando Alonso penalty protest
When Alonso says he ‘cannot fight’, he’s not lamenting the pace of his car. Instead, he’s talking about the penalty he received following the Sprint in China.
The 42-year-old failed to finish in Shanghai after sustaining a puncture in a late battle with Sainz. The stewards punished him for causing a collision, handing him three points on his licence.
Alonso has now amassed six so far this season, putting him halfway towards a race ban. Aston Martin lodged a protest against the verdict, doing what Will Buxton called ‘God’s work’.
However, the FIA have rejected it, which means Alonso will have to tread lightly to avoid running up his penalty-points tally. It remains to be seen whether it changes his approach on Saturday.
There are points available to the top-eight finishers in the sprint race, which offers him the chance to overtake George Russell in the championship. He’s currently just two behind the Mercedes driver (33 vs 31) in eighth.
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