The McLaren camp was bursting with joy when the checkered flag fell on this afternoon's qualifying session and Fernando Alonso remarkable P7 achievement.
Anyone unfamiliar with the team's distressed state of affairs or oblivious of the timesheet would have perhaps deduced from the fanfare that the Spanish driver had just secured pole position for his home race.
But the performance simply highlights what has been a painful season to date for McLaren-Honda.
"What a lap!" enthused McLaren executive Zak Brown.
"The team's doing a great job, Eric and the whole crew, just fantastic. And Fernando at home, he did it. Now we've got to finish where we start tomorrow, or better!"
Alonso's failure yesterday in FP1 when his Honda engine expired after just three corners inflicted more griping pain on McLaren and its driver.
But today's result is a testimony to the team's ability to regroup and get going again, insists Brown.
"I might go play some tennis tonight if that brings some good luck," Brown told Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz, referring to Alonso heading for the courts yesterday to evacuate his frustrations.
"You can't give up. This is Formula 1, it's tough, but this is good, this is good for the team. I'm very happy."
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