The smile did not fit on Fernando Alonso’s face. The Asturian looked happy after achieving something that resisted him after his return to Formula 1 . Seven years after his last podium, Alonso once again surprised everyone with a fought and deserved third place in the Qatari Grand Prix. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, I’m very happy,” he would say before going back up to the third step.
“It was incredible, seven years have passed but we finally succeeded. We were close in a couple of races but it was not enough and today it came. Being here after so long, with the red tire I think it couldn’t be but it worked. I am very happy for the team. It’s a good Sunday ”, explained Fernando Alonso , who couldn’t stop laughing, much less hide his satisfaction after a career in which he was always at the top.
The Asturian explained that from the first hour, in Alpine they thought that the best strategy was to go to a single stop. It worked despite the fact that some riders, such as Bottas who benefited him, suffered punctures in their left front tire: “It was a race to think about, we planned a race to one stop from the beginning but we did not know what the wear would be like. We executed well, the stop was fantastic, the quality of the car was superlative, it is very reliable at the moment.
The Spanish rider was also chosen by the fans as the best in this Qatar Grand Prix . A special affection is kept for Alonso and he responded with thanks: «Thank you very much. It has been an incredible weekend for the team. The car has flown, we have taken better care of the tire than other teams. I’m happy for the team.
