Alonso: Qualifying will be very important

Fernando Alonso is looking forward to the weekend at Zandvoort with confidence and optimism…

Q: In Spa you earned points in the ninth race in a row. How do you rate last weekend?
Fernando Alonso: A good weekend for me and the team – and a well deserved result. We were higher than expected due to penalties from opponents on the starting field, but we were able to use the situation to our advantage.

I had a great start, climbed up to second, then there was contact with Lewis. Fortunately my car was not damaged, I continued the fight and kept an eye on the condition of the tires.

Charles’ penalty gave me fifth place at the finish, but this year we were often unlucky. It’s great to get a lot of points, important for the battle against McLaren for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Question: Do you like Zandvoort?
Fernando Alonso: Yes, an interesting place. I had only been there once before, but now, thanks to Max’s success, it has become popular. The atmosphere and noise from the Dutch fans reminds me of the early 2000s when the Spanish fans really fell in love with the sport. The atmosphere is really great and I’m sure this weekend will be the same. I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel after a successful run at Spa.

Q: What parts of the job do you like the most?
Fernando Alonso: I like the whole track, completely unique to Formula 1. Fast and fluid configuration, not Spa like at all. The track is surrounded by barriers, so any mistake can lead to an accident. Overtaking is difficult, but not impossible, so qualifying will be very important. We are confident in our capabilities, this season our car is performing well on different tracks.