Alonso looking for improved Saturday speed to complement race pace

Fernando Alonso will start Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix in 13th place after being knocked out in Q2 once again.

Alonso qualified 11th in Australia and 13th in both Bahrain and China, and if he and McLaren could find some extra pace on Saturdays, with their race pace they could be a threat for big points.

Alonso and team mate Stoffel Vandoorne have scored points in both races so far, and will have to do the same as they did last week in Bahrain to continue their streak.

The pair qualified in the same positions in the Middle East and ended up bringing away 10 points, with Alonso finishing seventh and Vandoorne finishing eighth.

Alonso said after qualifying: “The pace is definitely better than last year. I think on Sundays we are more competitive but the starting position we need to keep working on.

Alonso sits in fourth in the drivers’ standings after two races, but he looks unlikely to stay there as Kimi Raikkonen and the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have qualified a long way up the field compared to the two time champion.