McLaren Honda Formula 1 Team driver Fernando Alonso says the Malaysian Grand Prix was difficult from the very start, and never really improved.
A collision between the two Williams Martini Racing drivers right in front of the Spaniard off the start, caused him to lose a number of positions, and ultimately ruined his race, as he was forced to run off his true pace, with no real chance of ever getting by.
“It was a tough race today.
“From the very beginning, at the second corner, the two Williams touched in front of me, and made me lose a few positions. As a result, we ended up in the secondary group, running a little slower than our true pace, and could not overtake.
“So I lost a lot of time, and that really compromised our race. A shame, definitely not one of our best races today.”
The double world champion is hoping to deliver a much-improved performance at the next round in Japan, for Honda’s home race, although the Spaniard has not scored points at Suzuka since 2013, so that may be a tough ask. But if anyone can pull an unlikely result out of the bag, it is Alonso.
“But we’ll have better days, and, hopefully in Japan, we’ll come back with stronger form, and I’ll be able to add my contribution to the constructors’ championship on Honda’s home ground.”
Team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne had a much stronger race on Sunday however, coming home in the points in seventh place, adding to the scoreboard for the second race running, and Alonso believes that shows the team are heading in the right direction, and bodes well for the rest of the season.
“Having scored points at this track and at Singapore, two very different circuits, is really good for the team. I hope we can continue scoring more points in the remaining races.”
