Alonso asking for qualifying improvement

Fernando Alonso currently sits fourth in the Formula One standings after two races of the season, but the Spaniard still believes that he can score better points if his car is more consistent over the whole weekend.

McLaren have good race pace, but neither Alonso or team mate Stoffel Vandoorne have reached Q3 so far this season.

Their race pace is backed up by the fact that McLaren have scored two double points finishes already in 2018, having only managed it once in 2017.

It is obvious that McLaren have made strong improvements after a frankly dismal 2017, but Alonso believes qualifying pace is now their weakness.

“For us, consistency has to be the key,” said the two-time World Champion. “We’ve been able to pull everything together on a Sunday so far – a combination of both hard work and good fortune, but we haven’t given ourselves the best chances on Saturday, so it’s important we pull the whole package together.”

Both Alonso and Vandoorne gained six positions in Sunday’s Bahrain race as they sliced their way through the field to score 10 points for their team.

Alonso will be hoping for more points in China, but with limited time between the Bahrain and Chinese GPs, McLaren are unlikely to have big upgrades scheduled.