Fernando Alonso secures top 10 finish at Interlagos
After a Friday afternoon plagued by mechanical problems - water pressure for Fernando Alonso and high exhaust temperatures for Jenson Button - the McLaren team found the resources to take a fine 10th place, thanks to the Spanish driver. Jenson Button failed to finish in Q1.
Despite the troubles encountered yesterday afternoon, the two McLaren drivers found their cars more competitive here than in the recent races. They had notably finished in 12th and 13th positions under the checkered flag in Mexico. The goal was clearly stated yesterday, even though it seemed difficult: to break into the Top 10 in qualifying. This was achieved by the double Spanish champion in cooler and wetter conditions, which seemed to suit him.
The double world champion was delighted with this performance and the sensations at the wheel of his single-seater. He recounts his qualification: « I really enjoyed driving today and felt really confident with the car. These cooler conditions seem to suit our car better than yesterday’s. So we were able to get the most out of the car. However, we were a bit worried after FP3 because we weren’t completely on pace. I was even more worried when I saw Jenson go out in Q1. I thought it wasn’t going to be our Saturday. But fortunately, my car performed fantastically on the five sets of soft tires I used during qualifying.
The car continued to respond well to each of my outings and I managed to find an additional tenth.
The Spaniard hopes, however, that his Friday issues will not be detrimental, especially on long stints. I hope that the track time lost yesterday won’t cost me too much for tomorrow’s race, as everyone has completed their long stint simulations in completely different weather conditions. Tomorrow we expect it to be cooler, with a possibility of some showers. It’s ultimately a good thing to start the race in the Top 10.
#FA14: “It’s good to be starting in the top 10.” Team thoughts ahead of tomorrow’s #BrazilGP: https://t.co/PXdbNPfrfQ pic.twitter.com/oxmhlZVciW
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) 12 novembre 2016
On the side of his teammate Jenson Button, it’s more of a gloomy mood, after being eliminated in Q1 by only clocking the 17th fastest time. The Briton felt somewhat helpless in the face of his car’s behavior. He didn’t recover the good sensations like during practice when he had set the 10th fastest time in FP2, before being immobilized.
He recounts his Saturday: The car was really well-balanced yesterday. Today it was a completely different car. There’s something that’s not working. There’s no reason for the car to behave the way it does. But it’s been like that since this morning. We don’t have the right pace, and it’s frustrating. (…) He finishes his comments by trying to look ahead to tomorrow: What’s done is done, and tomorrow is another day.
In general, the McLaren-Honda team has nothing left to lose at the end of the season. The sixth place in the constructors’ standings, with 74 points, seems secured (19 points ahead of Toro Rosso). From now on, the two experienced drivers from the Woking firm will be tasked with scoring but also with having fun, especially for Button, who will likely be racing in the penultimate race of his immense career.
