Alonso laments missed podium opportunity in Marina Bay

Fernando Alonso feels that without the mayhem that ensued at the start of the Singapore GP he could have achieved a podium finish with McLaren.

The Spaniard enjoyed a remarkable launch off the grid and found himself fighting for third as the front-runners collided on the run down to Turn 1.

Unfortunately, Alonso ended up as a collateral victim as Max Verstappen helplessly careered into the McLaren. While damage wasn't terminal, a frustrated Alonso eventually retired following a loss of power.

"My start was brilliant, the car did an amazing launch and I managed to gain several positions, up to third place, but after that we were in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Alonso.

• Stewards decide no penalties warranted over first corner crash

"I wasn’t aware of what was happening on the inside, all I know is that at Turn One some cars crashed and hit us. In that situation, you are just a passenger, there’s nothing you can do.

"Unfortunately, that hit was too much for our car. From the cockpit you don’t understand how much damage there is, but the car didn’t feel great, it had a lot of oversteer so I asked the team what was the damage but they were not completely sure because they’d lost the telemetry.

"At the end, we had some electrical problems and we had to stop.

"These things sometimes happen in motor racing and unfortunately it happened to us today. We had so much hope for this race, and in wet conditions we are very strong so the disappointment is even bigger.

"Despite my disappointment this evening, it’s actually been a positive and fun weekend - the team has done an outstanding job and I’ll be hoping for better luck in Sepang in a fortnight’s time."

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