Alonso Reaches Q3 in Brazil and Says Being Called Too Old Is a Thin Line

Fernando Alonso Brazil qualifying Q3 wet conditions, Digi Mart USA News (Brazil): Under difficult conditions, Fernando Alonso once again looked strong in a soaking-wet qualifying session in Brazil. The Aston Martin driver reached Q3 and was set to finish ninth on the grid.

Alonso was the first to head out on intermediate tires, but the top teams proved too strong. He said he was not thinking about pole position, though he had hoped that a clean lap might put him in the top five if rain came heavier.

“Not for pole position, but when I was at the front of the pit lane, I thought: if it rains hard and I can set a lap, I might finish in the top five,” Alonso told Viaplay. “The rain stayed away a bit longer than hoped, so everyone was able to run two timed laps.”

Alonso also ran into problems. “I don’t think we used Q3 optimally.

The tires were very cold in the first lap, and in the second lap I had no deployment, so we were driving in no man’s land. In one lap we had one problem, and in the second lap the opposite.”

He did not want to sound overly negative. “I just looked at the times at the end of qualifying, and I think the driver in P6 was around 1.8 seconds ahead of us.

That time simply wasn’t there, so I think P7 or P8 was the maximum. It is our first Q3 of the year.

We have to celebrate that.”

The Spaniard also called for help from the weather ahead of the race. “We certainly didn’t expect to reach Q3 this year, but Interlagos always brings surprises.

And if it rains in the race, we may have a better chance than if it is dry. In the dry, we had a very hard time in the third free practice, so let’s see what we can achieve.”

When told he is always good in the rain, Alonso responded with a broad smile. “Until one day you don’t perform well and people immediately say I am too old to drive.

I am on a thin line. It is the most normal thing in the world that when I do extraordinary things, but when I simply perform normally, I am suddenly too old.”