On Friday, he made a remarkable performance on a wet asphalt, but unfortunately had to abandon the sprint race due to a puncture. Despite doubts about Aston Martin’s performance in dry conditions, Fernando Alonso delivered two impressive laps in Shanghai. He only gave way to Max Verstappen, who took pole position, and Sergio Pérez, who had a strong showing for Red Bull. It was the perfect way to celebrate his new contract and prove that, at 42 years old, he can still challenge anyone who stands in his way.

McLaren and Ferrari were locked in a battle for a favorable position on the grid. While they couldn’t match Verstappen’s dominant pole streak, drivers like Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Charles Leclerc knew of Alonso’s speed in qualifying. However, when it mattered, Alonso outshined them all and secured his best grid position of the year. He even managed to recover from a small error in his first attempt, showing his determination and skill.

Against all odds, considering Lance Stroll failed to reach Q3, Alonso unleashed his best performance to secure a position between Ferrari and McLaren. This should have pleased Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s team principal, but Alonso went above and beyond with his impressive lap time. Meanwhile, Sainz struggled with Ferrari’s different aerodynamic setup, which hampered their competitiveness in qualifying.

During Q2, Verstappen signaled his dominance with a strong lap time, leaving the McLarens behind. However, it was Sainz who caused a red flag after running wide and ending up in the gravel. Despite this setback, he managed to repair the car and secure a place in Q3. Unfortunately, Lewis Hamilton’s hopes were dashed in Q1 due to a blockage at turn 14, costing him valuable time on his lap. The session was filled with surprises, with Nico Hulkenberg securing sixth place in a Haas and Guanyu Zhou disappointing the home crowd.