Alonso starts 17th in the home grand prix that had aroused the most enthusiasm in recent times, judging by the public attendance. How in the good years? “Not at all, it’s like 2012 or 2013, it’s very good. But people forget what 2006 was,” Fernando ditches. The 110,000 who bought a ticket for this Sunday expected to see the Spaniard in front, but he was eliminated in Q1 for what he defines as “a misunderstanding.”
“I started the lap behind Lando thinking I had a one or two second margin to cross the line, but then it turns out I had a 20 second margin. If I had known from the start I would have tried to make room for myself. I heard on the radio that it was very tight, that I had to go now, now, now. I did it when they told me, but it wasn’t necessary, so it was a misunderstanding with a high price, because if you start behind in Barcelona everything is much more difficult”, sums up the Alpine driver. About the single-seater: “Friday was very well, but on Saturday it wasn’t that fast, the real position of the car after one lap was 12th or 13th. Also we don’t have the same car, Esteban has a little improvement, it was his turn this time.” Ocon was 12th.
AS asked him what race he expects this Sunday from the tail of the peloton: “Not much more can be done. there are not many overtaking and there is a great degradation (of tires) when you roll behind other cars. We will see, in the last races there was a safety car and the people who started from behind were very lucky, they scored points. This Sunday I am one of those (which comes out behind)So hopefully I’ll get lucky with a fantastic safety car at the right time, maybe I’ll get lucky and take a couple of points, but I doubt it, it’s going to be a tough race.”
“Apologize? Why?”
Alonso’s statements on Friday, questioning the professionalism of the stewards after Miami’s second penalty (“Incompetent, when we arrived with the tests they were collecting and they could not go back on the document”) and the experience of one of the two directors career, Wittich, still kick in the ‘paddock’. Fernando confirmed that he spoke with the FIA president, Ben Sulayem: “I speak with him regularly, he knew my opinion after Miami so he was aware of everything. In the end, we all try to help each other. The FIA, the drivers, we are in the same boat, we want the sport to be fairer and better. It was a good conversation and we are moving forward. Ask for forgiveness? Why?”.
#missunderstanding