Fernando Alonso will line up from 18th on the grid at the Dutch Grand Prix after falling just short of a tenth of a second from the benchmark needed to reach Q2. The Asturian driver said he finished just 88 thousandths of a second below the Q1 cut-off, the smallest gap to the fastest driver in that session.
Alonso highlighted the team's progress over the last two races, indicating that the gap to the frontrunners had closed by three seconds. "In Budapest we were in Q2 and here we're a tenth away," he told the press. He added that the team had gone from an average gap of 4.5 seconds to the leading teams to closing significantly, with Piastri beating him by 1.3 seconds in the qualifying session.
However, the two-time world champion acknowledged that the power unit remains a limiting factor, with paddock estimates putting the shortfall at approximately 10 to 15 horsepower. "It's incredible, everything is working as planned. But it's a tough sport and you always have to improve," he said. He indicated that the car's drivability will be part of future improvements, though these must come from Honda and will require changes to physics and software.
Alonso expressed confidence in the chassis behaviour in race pace, noting that the car's grip allows him to make progress when other drivers are running worn tyres. Still, he admitted an important limitation: "We can do better, but at the same time we cannot overtake on the straights. That's why we're in a difficult position in that respect".
