Greenbkk.com Fernando Alonso | Alonso will start out on the clean side of the track in Hungary

Alonso will start out on the clean side of the track in Hungary

2/8/2011

Fernando Alonso will start from the clean side at the Hungaroring after clocking a time of 1:20.365 during the qualification phase.

Alonso will start in the fifth position at the Hungaroring, which will place him on the clean side, something essential on this racecourse. The Spanish driver was the fastest both in both the Q1 (1:21.578) and Q2 (1:20.262), but in the end on Sunday he will start behind Sebastian Vettel and the two Mclarens.

Alonso: “You have to keep up a good race pace”

Fernando Alonso underscored the setback suffered when he lost time on the third section on two curves where, along with his teammate Felipe Massa, he had understeering problems. “The third section is where we have lost the whole weekend, systematically. Specifically, on the last two, very long curves,” the Spaniard explained.

Alonso believes that the perfect race on Sunday, after starting fifth, will hinge on passing some of his competition after the first curve. “And what you have to do is keep up a good race pace, with pit stops to change the tyres that are almost perfect. Everything has to go smoothly. You also need a good start, so you don’t get stuck in a group too far back. I mean, you need what you always need for a victory: to have everything go your way,” he said.

Despite previous performances at the Hungaroring, such as in 2006 when, after one of his greatest races, he ended up being sunk by a badly-adjusted screw during a tyre change, Alonso believes the Hungarian racing circuit doesn’t owe him anything.

“I don’t think that fortune owes us anything on this circuit. This track has given me more than it has taken. I hope we have a clean race, without any failures. Quite a few pit stops are expected. You can lose a lot more than you can gain. If among the top five there are four stops each, in those 20 stops, two or three things could happen. So, you have to keep those things from happening to you,” he explained.

Finally, Alonso recognized that having Felipe Massa in front of him (starting fourth) could make him more cautious than if he had him next to or behind him, as he’s not just any rival. “In this case, it changes the way to take the curve. You’ve got to be more careful. I’ll try to draft Button, who starts right in front, and brake later than him," he assured.

Free Practice Session 3

Fernando Alonso clocked the best time after Sebastian Vettel during Free Practice Session 3 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Spaniard, who was the fourth fastest with soft tyres (1:22.834) dominated much of the session with the ultra-softs.

With the ultra-soft tyres Alonso (1:21.469) was only beaten by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.

Credit: Fernando Alonso (www.fernandoalonso.com)