Strong emotions for Fernando Alonso in the São Paulo Grand Prix of Formula 1. The veteran finished third in the Interlagos race, but even though he held that position for most of the race, he had to “sweat” to defend against Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), finishing just 53 milliseconds ahead of his rival.
The Aston Martin Spaniard didn’t hide that he thought he had lost the podium: ‘In the last 30 laps, I felt the pressure from Sergio. But when he passed me two laps from the end, I thought that the possibility of a podium was no longer possible. Then he braked a bit late for turn one on the last lap, and I told myself that I would try at turn four.’
Alonso – who saw his teammate Lance Stroll finish fifth – praised the importance of the collective result: ‘This is a phenomenal result for the whole team. We have had some difficulties in the last races, especially in the two previous ones, so this podium is for everyone on the track and everyone in Silverstone. It shows that we will always continue to fight until the last lap, the last turn.’
