Alonso Happy with Qualy Pace, Wants Dry Race in China

Having started the Chinese weekend with some engine problems, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finished the qualifying action on Saturday on a high note, scoring an impressive 3rd place behind Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. We say “impressive” because the Spaniard was hardly a contender for the top spots in the Friday and Saturday practice, when McLaren and Red Bull traded spots on top of the timing reports.

Talking to the media following the qualifying session, Alonso admitted he was very happy with what he has achieved in qualy, especially since it’s a well known fact that the Ferrari F10 behaves much better in race pace. Having said that, the Spaniard is confident ahead of the race in China, while pointing out that weather can play a major role in the overall classification.

“I think once again this is the maximum of our potential in qualifying. We know the race pace is a little bit better for us, and we feel a bit more comfortable with more fuel in the car and more longer runs. In normal situation this is the maximum we can do at the moment,” said Alonso, according to Autosport.

“If it rains tomorrow it will be fine. It will be interesting to see how the race develops, with the potential of our car and how it normally performs. A dry situation will be more normal for us,” admitted the Spaniard, hinting that he’d rather prefer a dry race than a chaotic rainy action. The weather forecast suggests 90 percent chances of rain tomorrow afternoon.

“Tomorrow's race will be determined by the weather. When it rains if it is wet all race then maybe the first car can lead until the end, but in those races you can make a good choice or a bad choice and lose 10 seconds per lap. It is nice to watch on television but very risky for us,” concluded Alonso.