Podium might be beyond me after qualifying sixth, says Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso has said that a podium in the US Grand Prix might be beyond him after finishing sixth in the qualifying session and added that the main aim is to compete with Mercedes for second place in the Constructors’ championship.

“The car was working better in qualifying. It’s probably the first sessions in the early morning with the cold track when we are not making the tyre work. In the afternoons, yesterday and today, things improve a little bit. It was also windy this afternoon so we had to interpret a little bit the wind direction and drive corner-by-corner depending on the wind intensity,” Alonso said.

The team has been struggling so far in Austin with both the drivers finishing outside the top ten in practice session and Felipe Massa qualifying 15^th for the race. They are currently 11 points behind Mercedes in the standings and Alonso insisted that beating Mercedes is the priority.

“Our target is to beat Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship. Today after a difficult weekend, Nico [Rosberg] is 14th, Felipe 15th, [Lewis] Hamilton fifth and I’m sixth. So we are right there tomorrow to fight with them and try to beat them,” he said.

“I’m here racing just to help the team, to get the second in the Constructors’ Championship in front of Mercedes and here and in Brazil we have a high chance to do it. That’s the main point. If it’s a podium it’s even better but it’s not the end of the world,” he added.