Fernando Alonso starts ninth at Zandvoort aiming for points in a race (3pm CET, Dazn F1) that will offer few overtaking opportunities, but constant red flag and safety car risk that can fuel strategy at any time. On his impressions on this particular circuit, the Asturian explains: “It was fun to drive out there. The circuit has challenges, of course. I don’t know if it can be compared to another circuit we’ve been to recently. There is no room for error, there is gravel and grass everywhere. Although ten years ago all the circuits were like that and nothing happened “.
“I enjoyed with little fuel load, the car feels really fast here and it was fun. But in the race I think it will be different, because they are heavy cars, it is not easy to overtake and it may be a bit more boring race. We will see. There is a high possibility of a safety car and we have to be lucky with that, “he commented. On the struggles on the track in the only area with DRS, the straight:” Let’s hope, maybe we will get a surprise. “
The track is ‘hard’, every little mistake ends with the car on the walls or gravel, because the loopholes are not asphalt. “I am a fairly clean rider, normally I never take advantage of the loopholes”, underlines the two-time Spanish champion, who finds a certain resemblance to Zandvoort: “It reminds me of Jarama, also for the facilities. It wouldn’t be any different with a car from ten years ago because it’s still tight and… dangerous, in a way. Latifi touched the grass a bit and lost the car. Although in a way, it is as it should be. “
Ninth on the grid
As for his position on the grid, just behind Ocon, he makes it less relevant: “The qualifying position is useless, it doesn’t mean anything. I’d rather start ninth than 14th, like in Spa, but I can finish fifth or 15th in the race. Saturday’s results are not that important. I start from the clean zone and I can recover positions. The thousandths with Esteban, bad luck on my part. There were some losses on the straights that we have to explain, but the race is not on Saturday.