Fernando Alonso: “We are getting penalties for anything, so the sprint race will just be for fun”

During the Sprint qualifying of the Miami Grand Prix on Friday, the Aston Martin team had to face challenges, with Fernando Alonso starting from the eighth position. The Spanish driver shared his thoughts on this mixed performance, highlighting the difficulties encountered.

There wasn’t much grip on the track today, so the conditions were quite difficult for Sprint qualifying. But it was the same for everyone, and we managed to get both cars into SQ3, which was today’s goal,” he commented to journalists after the Shootout.

After receiving a penalty during the Chinese Grand Prix, Alonso had already expressed reservations about the importance of Sprint races, highlighting the limited impact in terms of points and tire wear. Following the Miami Sprint qualifying, he reaffirmed his views in his own unique style: “We receive penalties for anything, so tomorrow is just for fun, nothing interesting for us.”

For Alonso’s team, the Sprint race format does not seem to bring any real advantages, given the small number of points at stake: The Sprint race doesn’t mean much to me, especially because we can’t fight or do something similar.

Despite these reservations, the Spanish driver approaches the Sprint as an opportunity to learn lessons for the main race: « It will be a boring day from the outside, as we will be in a train of cars, but we will do it. It will provide us with useful information for the race.

As usual, he maintains a pragmatic attitude towards the Sprint race, recognizing his limits while seeking to make the most of it. See you at 6 pm, French time, to attend the Sprint in Miami.