Alonso: Nobody but me would finish P7

Editor

Fernando Alonso was his usual modest self after coming through a dramatic race of his own to finish P7 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Spaniard recorded a fourth consecutive points finish of the season but he had to overcome a mountain to keep the streak alive in Baku.

Alonso picked up a double puncture on lap one after being caught in a sandwich on the long run between Turn 2 and 3, and also sustained substantial damage to his floor, suspension and other parts of his battered MCL33.

Yet Alonso battled on and somehow came home in a quite astonishing P7 and said that "no one" but him would have persisted with that amount of damage.

“Very crazy," Alonso reflected.

"Another seventh place but I think today was the result of persistence and pride, because I think no one would have reached the pit lane, first of all.

"They would have parked the car and if they could reach the pit lane they would have retired. But we didn’t park or retire the car and fought for every tenth, every lap, close to the walls.

“I’m happy with the points. It was probably one of the best races that I’ve done in a long time, or the best race of my life.

"I reached the pit lane thanks to a miracle. I didn’t have two wheels or front wing or floor or anything.”