Alonso: "Anger" over qualifying led to Portuguese GP charge
Fernando Alonso says his "anger" over struggling in qualifying led to his charge through the Formula 1 field at Portimao to finish eighth for Alpine.
Alpine showed competitive pace throughout practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix, only for Alonso to slump to 13th in qualifying as team-mate Esteban Ocon took sixth place on the grid.
But the race saw Alonso battle his way up the order, making overtakes on Pierre Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz Jr in the closing stages to cross the line in eighth, just one second behind Ocon.
It marked Alonso's first top-10 finish on track since returning to F1 at the start of the year, having inherited a point for P10 at Imola thanks to Kimi Raikkonen's post-race penalty.
Asked if the late charge through the field was a sign of the gladiatorial Alonso of old in F1, he replied: "I agree with that a little bit.
"I think in Bahrain, I was more careful on everything just to complete the first grand prix. At Imola I was so uncomfortable in the car with the conditions. I didn't feel good on the inters, the visibility. The qualifying was bad.
"So I think this is really the first race that I was extracting the maximum from the car. And yeah, I was upset after yesterday's qualifying. So today that anger was probably on track as well."
Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Alpine brought an updated floor for its A521 car to Portimao that allowed Ocon and Alonso to find more pace, as well as maximising the updates it previously debuted at Imola.
Alonso was encouraged that Alpine was able to fight with the upper-midfield runners such as Ferrari and McLaren in the race, but remained uncertain why his qualifying had been so poor.
"It was a good race, but generally it was a good weekend, not only the race," Alonso said.
"I felt the car was much more competitive here than in Imola and Bahrain. We were fighting with one McLaren, with one Ferrari, and AlphaTauri. Definitely we were in a group that we were not able to be in Imola or Bahrain, so that was a positive theme.
"We felt competitive already from FP1. We were fifth in FP2, we could have been third in FP3, so it remains a little bit of a mystery what happened yesterday in qualifying where I felt not comfortable.
"It was not the same grip as any other session, unfortunately, and that compromised a little bit my race.
"But yeah, overall I am very happy with the weekend in general, and just the performance of the car. I think it was a good Sunday for us as Alpine, the cars being competitive more than any other race so far this year."
Related video
Previous article
Portuguese Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Next article
Autosport Podcast: Recapping the F1 Portuguese GP
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Portuguese GP |
| Drivers | Fernando Alonso |
| Author | Luke Smith |
How F1’s street track return can offer Verstappen redemption
Red Bull has failed to capitalise on having the best car in the opening rounds. BEN EDWARDS thinks change is around the corner
The AlphaTauri improvements that mean Gasly’s form is no fluke
Pierre Gasly has driven superbly since demotion from Red Bull in 2019, but the team formerly known as Toro Rosso has come on strong too – building a car that can often challenge Ferrari and McLaren. Here Gasly reveals to ALEX KALINAUCKAS how AlphaTauri has given him the tools needed to rebuild his reputation
Why Bottas feels the time has come to be “more selfish”
We’ve seen five distinct versions of Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes as he’s tried to fulfil his own ambitions while being a consummate team player – two difficult, competing missions which have been challenging to reconcile. Speaking exclusively to STUART CODLING, Bottas explains his highs and lows… and why he still believes he can be world champion
Does Aston have a case in F1 2021’s big technical row?
Aston Martin claims Formula 1’s latest technical tweaks have cost it competitiveness – and that it’s the innocent victim of a regulatory stitch-up aimed at pegging back Mercedes. But is any of this actually true? It depends on who you ask, says STUART CODLING
How long can F1 2021's brewing title battle stay clean?
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been evenly matched so far in the 2021 Formula 1 title race. Neither has been afraid to get aggressive against each other on track, teeing up an enthralling contest as the year unwinds. But is their rivalry destined to end in broken shards of carbon fibre?
What the Spain result tells F1 about the next phase of the Mercedes/Red Bull title fight
OPINION: Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have recovered from their pre-season woes to take three wins from the opening four races of 2021. But each time Red Bull and Max Verstappen have pushed them hard. So, what clues did the latest round of that battle – the Spanish Grand Prix – tease about the next stage of the season?
How Brabham’s one-hit wonder was boxed into a corner
The Brabham BT46B raced once, won once, then vanished – or did it? STUART CODLING reveals the story of the car which was never actually banned…
The changes Barcelona needs to provide a modern-day F1 spectacle
Formula 1’s visits to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over recent years have been met with familiar criticisms despite tweaks here and there to the track to improve racing. With the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix largely going the same way, proper solutions need to be followed to achieve F1’s wider targets
