Masterclass wet-weather driving was once again on display from Fernando Alonso during a dramatic and rain-soaked qualifying session at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Interlagos for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The two-time world champion successfully dragged his Aston Martin machine into Q3 for the first time in the 2026 season.
Having originally qualified ninth on track, the veteran Spaniard was promoted to eighth on the starting grid following a 10-place grid penalty handed to Charles Leclerc for an engine change. The treacherous conditions served as a performance equalizer, temporarily mitigating the power deficit of the Honda power unit while emphasizing pure driver risk management.
Despite achieving his most competitive qualifying session of the year, Alonso admitted that the leading pack remained completely out of reach, describing the top six drivers as being on an unreachable planet. Ice-cold tyres at the start of Q3 severely limited his initial grip and prevented him from challenging for higher positions.
"Circumstances open a new opportunity for people at the back, and we took some risks in Q1 and Q2 where the conditions were an unknown for everybody," Alonso reflected after the session.
Detailing the challenges of the final qualifying phase, he added, "It was the first Q3 of the year, but then in Q3, I was expecting more, but I was the first in the queue and the tyres were ice cold, so I had no grip. P6 was 1.8 seconds in front of me, so it was too much to dream about any higher places."
Looking ahead to the Grand Prix, Alonso openly admitted that he is praying for sustained wet weather to maximize his chances of scoring championship points. Given the team's struggles during dry running earlier in the weekend, where they found themselves languishing down the order in free practice, intermittent rain remains their best strategic weapon.
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