Alonso "close to 100" per cent with F1 comeback after "beautiful" Styrian qualifying

Fernando Alonso believes he is now "close to 100" per cent on his F1 comeback following a "beautiful" qualifying performance for the Styrian Grand Prix.

At the end of Q2, after being informed he had reached the top-10 shoot-out, Alonso declared his lap "beautiful" and that it did not matter where he ended up in Q3.

As it transpired, the two-time champion qualified ninth, although will now start eighth after AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas during Q3.

Asked whether he was at a level where he is now achieving his maximum, Alonso replied: "I don't know if I'm 100 per cent now. Every lap you keep learning things and you would love to have more days.

"But I'm definitely better than at the beginning of the year in terms of understanding the tyres, understanding the car, optimising the set-up, things that with this team are a little bit different.

"Close to 100, let's say, and the last three weekends being in the Q3, in the points [in Baku and France], so getting there.

"It's good momentum where we are at the moment, and everything seems to be going in the right direction on my side of the garage, so I'm happy with this."

As to why his qualifying performance was so beautiful, Alonso added: "It was enjoyable today. I'm really enjoying myself driving the car.

"Even at the beginning of the year, I enjoyed myself when I struggled a little bit.

"But as I said in Baku, the general opinion was a little bit more negative than what it actually was. I was never too far away, and in a couple of races I was just behind the rear wing of Esteban [Ocon].

"It was not the impression people got but I think I am changing the impression now.

"So I'm very happy, I'm enjoying myself, on and off track. There's a very good spirit in the team and I'm having a good time."

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