Alonso on pole in Singapore: “The best possible position”

Fernando Alonso is optimistic after qualifying for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix which saw him take pole position with his Ferrari F10, beating Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton's McLaren.

“All pole positions are important but it is clear that starting from the front in a race like this at this time of the season is very important and gives us more hope of being able to further reduce the gap in the standings” declared Alonso.

“Having obtained two consecutive pole positions in very different circuits such as Monza and Singapore gives us a good boost because it means that the car can be really competitive on any type of track. It certainly wasn't an easy day but in qualifying we managed to get the best out of our car while I don't think our main rivals can say the same. Honestly, I thought that the Red Bulls, who had dominated the weekend so far, would be in front and that the possible objective was third place, but instead they are on pole: it was almost like an Easter surprise!” said the Spaniard from Ferrari.

“There was a tense moment in Q2 when something didn't work with the engine mapping but then, once the reprogramming was done, everything was back to normal,” he explained.

“Tomorrow the start will be very important but even more so maintaining maximum concentration for the 61 laps of a very long and demanding race both physically and mechanically. The track conditions will be fundamental because we have seen that certain parts of the track remain wet for a long time so a little rain even several hours before the start will be enough to change the situation. We will have to try to do our race and I am sure that we can bring home a good result: we are in the best possible position to do so" concluded Fernando.