Alonso: Fast Ferrari ‘should have won’ Singapore GP

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Fernando Alonso raised a few eyebrows after last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, not due to his own performance, but rather for his surprising claim that Ferrari should have won the race at Marina Bay.

Alonso concluded last Sunday’s event eighth for Aston Martin, picking up four valuable points after a strategic undercut on Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg during the pitstop window.

The two-time world champion was in a train with Hulkenberg and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the first part of the race but managed to undercut the former during the tyre rotations.

Thereafter, he spent the final 20 laps of his evening following Carlos Sainz to the checkered flag.

Despite securing his fourth top 10 finish in the last five races, Alonso felt that his points haul was somewhat fortunate, given the overall subdued pace of his AMR24 throughout the weekend.

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"Behind the top four teams, just in front of Checo, so normally it's ninth and 10th available,” he said, reviewing his race. “Finishing eighth is a bit better than our best dreams.

"Good points, but still one lap behind and not great pace, difficult car to drive the whole weekend. So yeah, we were just lucky we got points, but it was possible to be P15 and have the same feeling.

"I think we should [have] be 15th and 16th. We are eighth, two seconds behind a Ferrari. So I don't know if I can do more."

©Ferrari

Ferrari’s disastrous qualifying on Saturday had left Leclerc and Sainz a lowly P9 and P10 on the grid and relying on strategy to move up the order, which they duly succeeded in doing as they finished P5 and P7 respectively.

But Alonso was particularly struck by the Scuderia driver’s pace throughout the 62-lap race at Marina Bay.

"The Ferraris were, I mean, they should have won this race, probably,” reckoned the Aston charger. “They were the fastest car this weekend."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.