Alonso rules out challenging McLarens in Zandvoort

Grand Prix of the Netherlands

Dates: 29-31-Aug, 2018 Start time: 14:00 BST on Sunday

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso ruled out any prospect of competing with the McLarens for a front-row starting position at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands despite splitting Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Friday practice.

After winning both sessions at Zandvoort, Alonso was only 0.08 seconds behind Norris.

The two-time champion, however, laughed when it was suggested he might participate in Saturday’s qualifying with the McLarens.

Alonso said, “I don’t believe it’s within our reach to fight with the McLarens,” but “some of the top teams, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, they seem not too distant.” We’ll make an effort to be in that group.

“The Astons are never that far off in P2,” said Norris. They consistently and frequently perform well in P2. They have improved significantly. They were also fairly quick in Budapest. It doesn’t come as a big surprise. They appear to be moving the quickest right now, but Max (Verstappen) is close enough.

Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll shared the lead in both sessions, setting a fourth-fastest time in the first session. After locking his left front brake on the entryway to the corner, Stroll left the session early on with a significant impact at the banked Hugenholtz hairpin.

After some minor car improvements in recent races, the team has since improved to sixth place in the constructors’ championship despite a difficult start to the season.

Alonso once said, “I feel optimistic. Undoubtedly a little more optimistic than some of our previous Fridays.

Hungary “strong for us,” and now that we have the race under our belts, we are still showing some good pace in our free practice. Although it is only free practice, it is encouraging to see how we are doing.

After falling behind Norris by 0. 292 seconds in the first session, Piastri is now nine points clear of him for the weekend.

Both McLaren drivers claimed they had had a good day getting ready for the weekend, with the teams anticipating rain that will affect running on Saturday.

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari was second fastest, ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull, and who was 0. 848 seconds off the pace at Mercedes.

The seven-time champion never lost a single hit during his two spins during the day.

The first was during the first session when he spun into Hugenholtz, and the second was when he ran a little wide out of Turn Nine’s tricky right-hander and re-engaged the rear wheel.

Hamilton made a positive start to the season’s final stretch after a difficult first for the Briton, finishing the day 0.0396secs and two places ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Not the worst of days, Hamilton declared. We were progressing. In P1, things were a lot further apart than usual. We made progress, but we still have a lot of work to do overnight.

We are where we are, if you prefer. We’ll try our best, but I’m not sure how we’re going to find 0. 8 seconds.

He claimed that his spins simply were pushing too hard. The car is quite unpredictable, and the ride quality isn’t what we’d like. I had a snap when I touched the grass the second time.

Leclerc described it as “probably the worst Friday of the season,” calling it “a very, very, very difficult Friday” and claiming that they were losing “90% of the time” in two corners. The tricky two right-handers from Turns Eight and Nine were the one he chose, but he did not name them.

Leclerc predicted that the situation would need a “miracle.”

Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull was seventh, and Alex Albon was another, who crashed in the Williams’ second session, going straight into Tarzan’s front wing and breaking it against the barriers.

Verstappen himself experienced a problem after the first session, causing him to misinterpret his braking into the Tarzan hairpin, which initiates the lap after a practice start.

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto finished ninth fastest behind Leclerc, followed by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, who was rounded out the top 10 behind Oliver Bearman from British Haas.

Colapinto’s future at the team was in doubt during the official press conference held in the interim of the sessions, led by Alpine’s de facto coach Flavio Briatore.

The Argentine has failed to impress, having been drafted as a reserve driver from Williams over the winter and racing alongside Australian Jack Doohan from the French team since the sixth race of the season.

Briatore responded, “I see everything already,” when asked what he needed to see from Colapinto in order to keep his seat. I don’t need to look at anything anymore.

It’s challenging, they say. It’s very challenging for this driver to handle this vehicle. These vehicles are quick and heavy. And for a young driver to enter Formula 1, Franco might not have had the right timing. Perhaps he needs another year or two to compete in Formula 1?