Fernando Alonso failed to make it out of Q1 for the first time in 2017 at the Baku City Circuit on Saturday, but admitted they only used one set of tyres knowing he had a forty-place grid penalty to come.
The McLaren Honda Formula 1 Team racer finished sixteenth fastest but will start right at the back of the pack after two engine changes this weekend, but Alonso knows that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is likely to be tough, with the MCL32 not competitive this weekend.
Despite this, Alonso is hoping to have a clean race, and as such he hopes to find his way into the points for the first time this season.
“We did a good job today in terms of preparing for the race: we only used one set of tyres, put in low fuel and did some checks,” said Alonso.
“We know we’re not competitive around here, but the race is going to be long and demanding. We’ve seen many mistakes from almost every driver, and we need to avoid making any of those tomorrow.
“In these kinds of grand prix, we need to try and finish the race, get some data for the team, and keep developing the car. We need to make sure we keep away from the walls tomorrow. Let’s also hope we can end up in the points.”
