Formula One news

'The longest qualifying session ever!' - Alonso

Fernando Alonso was all smiles despite qualifying the slowest of those who made Q3 at Interlagos on Saturday. In a crazy qualifying session which finished close on an hour and three quarters late, the former double World Champion came home with a car in tact to start the Brazilian Grand Prix from tenth on the grid.

With team-mate Romain Grosjean having been knocked out of contention in Q2 to line-up 13th ahead of Sunday, Alonso made no real impression in the final phase of qualifying to be the slowest of the ten runners on the track at which both of his world crowns have been collected.

"I think that was the longest qualifying session which I have ever taken part in!" the Spaniard joked. "The weather conditions made it interesting but the car didn't have the pace to qualify higher up the grid today.

"If we get changeable weather tomorrow, it will impact on the race and if we can react to the conditions at the right times then we can make up some places - we will certainly try our best to do that."

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