Alonso reveals MISTAKE cost him in shock Red Bull battle- Top three verdict

Chinese Grand Prix

Alonso reveals MISTAKE cost him in shock Red Bull battle - Top three verdict

A mistake in qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix may have cost Fernando Alonso a front row spot.

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 20 April 2024 14:12

A mistake in qualifying may have cost Fernando Alonso a chance to fight Red Bull in tomorrow's Chinese Grand Prix.

In a chaotic qualifying session Lewis Hamilton, failed to make it out of Q1 after a lock up into the final hairpin, and will start 18th on Sunday.

Article continues under video

Carlos Sainz caused a red flag in Q2, with an unusual spin that resulted in a crash into the final corner.

Despite achieving a top three result Fernando Alonso also struggled in Q3.

The Spanish driver nearly lost the car in Turns 1 and 2, a mistake that cost him at least two tenths and a potential front row start.

Here’s what the top three had to say following qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix…

Max Verstappen

{inlineimage[https://sportsbase.io/images/gpfans/copy_620x348/da764d34bbed3fba892203059efd8c1c565c51b2.jpg][Max Verstappen won the Chinese GP sprint race][2]}

Max Verstappen

"After the Sprint race, it gave us a few more ideas for the car and I think the car worked even better in Qualifying.

"Definitely very happy with how the whole of Qualifying went. The car was really nice to drive and also in Q3, that final lap felt pretty decent.

"I'm also very happy to drive here in the dry. The conditions were pretty good, so it was a lot of fun."

Sergio Perez

{inlineimage[https://sportsbase.io/images/gpfans/copy_620x348/dcb66c68615314a22d1f5633b4e7f7930ec368b4.jpg][Sergio Perez secures a front row lock out for Red Bull][2]}

Sergio Perez

"It was very intense. I nearly got knocked out in Q1. I had traffic with one of the Williams, I had to abort my lap, drove back on hot, used tyres and just made it through in P15. It was just a very messy start to qualifying.

"Q2 was a little bit more straightforward. I could really get a read into the balance and we were making some nice progress through the session.

"Unfortunately it was just not enough to get Max, but overall it’s a tremendous team result because the track has changed a lot. We changed a lot the car as well to adapt to the conditions, so hopefully that will also pay out tomorrow.

"It’s everything to play for tomorrow. We can be fighting from there and we can definitely have a strong rhythm. We showed today that we have fairly good pace in the long run, so I look forward to tomorrow."

Fernando Alonso

{inlineimage[https://sportsbase.io/images/gpfans/copy_620x348/10a311bf9dcba42f6a8abc8c76ef200b521e4340.png][A mistake cost Fernando Alonso a front row spot][2]}

Fernando Alonso

"Sector One I had a moment in Turns One and Two and I nearly lost the car. Then I said 'OK, I keep going or abort the lap' because I lost two tenths in two corners.

"We didn't give up and kept on pushing through the lap and set a good lap time. The car improved since the Sprint. We made a few setup changes, let's see if we can convert that into points.

"I'm extremely happy and proud of the team. We are not giving up and are not in the position we want yet but we keep pushing."

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton FIA Fernando Alonso Chinese Grand Prix