Not known for mincing his words when things aren't going well, Fernando Alonso was actually sounding quite positive about how today's qualifying went in Melbourne.
Alonso made it through Q1 and will start tomorrow's Australian Grand Prix from 13th place on the grid. Considering how McLaren's pre-season testing had gone just a couple of weeks ago, this was a good news.
"After the difficulties we encountered in winter testing, we came to Melbourne without a clear idea of where we stood," Alonso admitted.
"But we’ve more or less run through all the sessions without trouble – which is better than we’d expected.
“I had sufficient sets of tyres to be able to enjoy my laps in both Q1 and Q2," he added. "I was happy with the balance of the car and was able to really push it.
"That’s useful because, at the moment, we need to extract the maximum out of the package we have.
"Tomorrow we’ll start 13th – in the middle of the pack – which is definitely not our target. Finishing the race is going to be tough.
"And, if we do finish it, to end up in a decent position we’ll need help from the weather and for other cars to encounter trouble."
Boullier praises Alonso's efforts
Racing director Eric Boullier was also feeling upbeat about how things had gone.
"Fernando showed all his experience this afternoon," he said. "He coupled it with his undiminished natural spee, to carve a perfect lap whose verve and fluidity deserved better than P13.
"But in truth that’s all our car is capable of delivering at the moment, and Fernando produced it all," he admitted, adding: "Bravo!"
GALLERY: all the pics from Saturday's action
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