Spaniard says Friday practice "is the key part of the weekend for us"
Tuesday 21 April 2015 12:57, UK
Fernando Alonso has said that, as far as McLaren and Honda are concerned, race weekends will continue amounting to little more than test sessions until next month's Spanish GP.
Speaking ahead of this Sunday's race in Bahrain, the Spaniard seemed resigned to spending another weekend at the back of the field as McLaren-Honda struggle to make their MP4-30 car competitive.
Alonso has qualified 18th behind team-mate Jenson Button at the last two races and finished for the first time this season - a 12th place - in China last weekend.
Asked on Thursday whether he can make Q2 this weekend, Alonso replied: "We'll see. I think the cars are very similar to China - for everybody, not only for us because there's only four days between China and here. So I don't think that the performance will change so much.
"But the goal is still to keep improving and if the track characteristics and the weekend goes well for us, then I think Q2 is possible.
"If it doesn't go in the right direction, then Q2 is not possible, but there are many things we need to learn. There is a good programme of testing tomorrow with aerodynamic parts in FP1, tyre testing and some other set-up changes in FP2.
"This is the key part of the weekend for us.
"Until we can fight for important things, if we can be 15th or 17th [it] doesn't change too much.
"But if we make sure the direction we’re going is the right one, this is the key."
Alonso said he was happy with the handling of his car, which he described as "not so tricky or peaky". However, Honda are still not running their new hybrid engine at full power.
The 33-year-old added that F1's testing restrictions were not helping, given that he had only completed one full day pre-season before his running was cut short by the accident that forced him to miss the season-opener in Australia.
"Hopefully from Barcelona, we can enjoy a little bit more the racing. But when we will be competitive to fight with the top guys? This is a little bit more long-term," he conceded.
"From Barcelona test to Barcelona race will be a very big difference. But the important thing is that it's also a big difference from the Bahrain race to the Barcelona race.
"This is what we all hope. But at the same time we cannot put all the expectations on Barcelona."
Alonso doubts that the Bahrain International Circuit will suit McLaren-Honda better than Shanghai.
"I'm not sure, I don't think so. I don't think there is a big difference between here and Shanghai for our performance," he added.
"As I said, it's important and we are racing. But it's not a matter of one position or two positions when you are in this kind of area. The important things are on Fridays and the direction we may take for Barcelona."
