Formula One news

Alonso returns to front row

Fernando Alonso was satisfied to qualify his Renault second in China, having had an absence from the front row since the Spanish Grand Prix of almost a year ago. The former double World Champion is using a new diffuser this weekend, and is happy with the subsequent positive effect in performance despite the lack of KERS.

"If you add any new part to the car, it makes a big difference in terms of position and we proved it today," said Alonso, whose team added the diffuser overnight, onto an R29 no longer carrying KERS. "We need to see the fuel loads for tomorrow, but we went into Q3 more or less comfortable and that is something new that we didn't have in the first two races."

The Renault team, like McLaren, is using a new diffuser this weekend following the FIA's ruling of double diffusers as legal this week. "I think it has been a strange weekend for us with a completely new car this morning, and we only completed three laps this morning," Alonso continued, who finished 19th in final practice. "It was a blind qualifying for us because we didn't know how the car would respond, but we are extremely happy with this result - it is a big motivation for the whole team because we have been working flat-out for the last three or four weeks.

"Last night, and I think it was the same for many teams, the guys only slept for one or two hours and, after that enormous job, you have to deliver when you are in the car; you cannot make a mistake or do anything wrong. I am happy with the performance today, and that is thanks to the big effort by the team."

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