Fernando Alonso qualified third in Jeddah but starts second in the race thanks to a penalty from Charles Leclerc. Spaniard Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin teammate posted a sixth fastest time and will start fifth.
Fernando Alonso (3rd): “The team is having a good weekend. In Bahrain the performance in qualifying was our weak point, but today the car is very fast in one lap. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow. Charles is waiting for a penalty, so I start from the front row – just great.
We are confident in our race pace. On Friday the traffic made it difficult to show a good pace in the long run, but the car is fast. Race pace and careful handling of tires are the strengths of the AMR23. On Sunday we have to look better than on Saturday, so starting from the front row is a very good achievement.”
Lance walk (6th): “The mood is good, I enjoyed qualifying. A few years ago we also had a good car, but that was a long time ago and people forgot about it. Of course the AMR23 is very enjoyable and fun to fly, although I felt I could have done better. I had the best time in the first sector, but made a mistake in turn 22 and couldn’t win back what I had lost.
It’s a bit frustrating, but tomorrow I’m still starting from 5th position, which isn’t bad. Of course I will try to compete for the podium, and if I succeed, that will be great. I think it’s possible because the car is capable of good race pace, although you have to get ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes, who will start ahead of me.
Source: F1 News

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