Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, a two-time Formula 1 world champion, was set to begin his run at the French Grand Prix, the twelfth race of the season, on the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet. He described his Q3 appearance as a positive first step and expressed a desire to be more competitive as the weekend progressed.
He noted that finishing seventh felt like a solid result in what was a tighter competition than usual. While faster at Silverstone and Austria, Alonso and his team planned a careful analysis to understand why their pace differed here in France, aiming to close the gap with rivals in the coming sessions.
In the general standings, the event’s analysis highlighted a few shifts and potential improvements for the teams involved. The day’s pace suggested that McLaren and AlphaTauri introduced several new parts and could be on a path toward noticeable progress. Being in the third segment of qualifying with the rest of the field was seen as a constructive start, yet Alonso stressed the hope of improving on Sunday and drawing closer to Lando Norris, who would line up fifth on the grid. The team’s work throughout the day underscored a belief that these updates could pay dividends on race day, even if Friday’s pace did not fully satisfy expectations and the seventh-place time in the final free practice remained a talking point for the crew.
Carlos Sainz, who had finished fourth in the world championship standings and faced a power unit penalty, qualified nineteenth on the Paul Ricard circuit. He praised the strong support and collaboration with his teammate Charles Leclerc, who secured pole position. Sainz highlighted the value of the team’s cohesive effort and signaled that Sunday could be a strong opportunity to rebound and score well, driven by a shared determination to push forward together.
Among the headlines, the assessment of speed suggested that this particular weekend showed encouraging signs. After a strong Friday, Sainz noted a slight edge in the second qualifying phase, suggesting the possibility of a pole position on the weekend. The momentum, however, shifted toward a focus on punishment and consistency, with the belief that the team had achieved a promising development that could translate into solid results as the session progressed. Verstappen, starting second on the front row beside Leclerc, loomed as a formidable opponent, underscoring the tight competition at Le Castellet and the challenge of converting pace into a race win on Sunday.
Throughout the day, the team emphasized the importance of teamwork. The consensus was clear: the collective effort mattered as much as raw speed, and the engineers, strategists, and drivers worked in concert to maximize the potential of their setup. As the sessions unfolded, the sense of synergy within the squad grew, reinforcing the notion that success this season comes from sustained collaboration as much as from individual performances.