Alonso balks at missed opportunity: 'We could have fought for pole'

Fernando Alonso looked set to be the absolute surprise during qualifying in Australia. After finishing fifth in Q1 and Q2, the Spaniard seemed to have a serious shot at pole in Q3. But luck was not on Alonso's side.

Alonso seemed to be on his way to the fastest time, until things went wrong on entering turn eleven. Immediately the former world champion announced over the radio that it was a mechanical problem. In retrospect, that proved to be a good conclusion, because suddenly something was wrong with the hydraulics of the car. So no pole, but 'only' tenth on the starting grid on Sunday.

“We lost the hydraulics on the car, so we lost the gear change and also the power steering and everything, so yes, I think we could [have fought] for pole position today”, Alonso later told the Official site of the Formula 1. “We will try to fight for some points, but I think a podium was there for us this weekend other and we missed another opportunity.”

Yet there is also something positive to report: Alonso realizes that Alpine has put a strong car on the grid. The Spaniard is all the more disappointed by all the bad luck that befell him in the first three races of the season. Especially in Melbourne, which he feels could have been one of the best weekends in years.