15/03/2014
NEWS STORY
Fifth place is the best Ferrari could have hoped for according to Fernando Alonso who was more than a second-and-a-half off the time set by pole sitter Lewis Hamilton. It was a difficult qualifying hour, with changeable weather conditions rewarding the brave as much as the lucky, Kimi Raikkonen one of a number of drivers caught out by the weather.
Raikkonen claimed he was busy changing settings on his steering wheel, the momentary lapse of concentration enough to send him spearing off in to the barrier. It's a problem to which Alonso could relate as the Spaniard claimed the new energy recovery regulations have made the drivers' job more difficult as they set up the various systems while driving on the limit.
Throw wet weather in to the mix and it becomes rather overwhelming.
"Today was not fun," Alonso confessed. "The first time in wet conditions with 2014 cars, zero practice, you go out there and it's Q2; that's not fun at all.
"I didn't know at any time where I was from the start of Q3 to the end," he continued. "When I switched off the car in Q3 I knew that I was fifth, just at that moment. The rest of Q3 was just about taking the information from the steering wheel.
"I'm sure in one or two months we will simplify many of the things we are doing now," he sighed. "We are now just learning the tools and systems and we need to try and make them a little bit easier for the driver."
According to Alonso his Ferrari simply doesn't have the pace to compete with the likes of Mercedes for the moment, though he believes there is plenty of potential to be unlocked.
"This year is very different thanks to the regulations and the developing phase that we are now in with the ERS," he explained. "Last year we started with a car that was 95% and the total performance we found was 5% over the rest of the year. This year everyone is starting at 60% because these cars are too new for everybody."
For now, fifth place in qualifying is about what the team deserves Alonso claims, a position which at least provides opportunity for points if his car reaches the finish.
"You cannot take finishing the race for granted which probably we were doing in the last couple of years," he said.
"People say the first priority is to finish the race which maybe sounds pessimistic or a little bit strange but I'm sure all the drivers, the guy on pole position, cannot be 100% that he will finish the race," he continued.
"Fifth, which is our natural position, I think opens a good possibility to get some strong points tomorrow."
Check out our Qualifying gallery, here.
Mat Coch