Alonso: pole a “nice surprise”

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Fernando Alonso said he was pleasantly surprised to take pole position having been afraid someone would beat him in the dying moments of qualifying:

It was nice surprise when I stopped in parc fereme. The radio told me we were in first place but there were still cars in their laps and Jenson was pink in the second sector.

As we’ve seen happen this year, someone will arrive in the last lap and we’ll be in second or third by a few hundredths of a second.
Fernando Alonso

He set the quickest time with his first lap of the session but was unable to improve on it:

We had two new sets tyres in Q3. We divide Q3 into two runs, the first was just to put a good lap on the table and the second attempt was just to risk a little bit more.

But sometimes in Monza you try to do a normal lap and the time is better than when you try to risk too much. With the slow chicanes and fast corners it’s very easy to overdrive.
Fernando Alonso

It is Ferrari’s first pole position since the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.

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    22 comments on “Alonso: pole a “nice surprise””

    1. I hope his engine blows up on the formation lap.

      1. As a “nice surprise” of your own PM? At least he did it fairly and on his own merit today, doesn’t that help. Much better than overly much enjoying it when gifted a win or third place due to someone else having a problem.

        1. Ferrari are an arrogant, domineering and solluess automaton and they have been for years. They might have the Ferrari name, but they are not Ferrari. Their attitude towards the new teams, their attempts to force their chassis and their engines through to those new teams, their use of team orders and the way they threatened to sue anyone who took action against them for their little stunt in Germany prove that they have sold their souls. I’ll bet Enzo Ferrari is turning in his grave right now because a car carrying his name but representing nothing of what he stands for is on pole at Monza. It’s a travesty.

          Ferrari need a season or three at the very back of the grid to remind them of where they came from.

          1. The only thing less sporting and disappointing than the Ferrari team orders tactic are the juvenile responses to it such as the above by mr monkeys.

            1. Seconded. Ferrari whine and the haters are there to criticise them. Ferrari win and the haters are there to criticise them.

            2. Oh, so because they’re Ferrari, I’m not allowed to criticise them? I;m sure that if you go through the grid, you’ll find someone who can and will criticise the other eleven teams – whether it’s Renault for signing Petrov, Virgin for being so slow, Mercedes for having Schumacher, etc. – you’ll find critics for all. But no, because this is the high-and-mighty Ferrari that we’re talking about, nobody is allowed to criticise them.

              Give me a break.

          2. saying it how you feel ah Prisoner Monkeys.

            i don’t like them either but at least i can congratulate the guy for a mighty fine lap, i do appreciate a great drive on the very edge and that was as close as your going to get without coming unstuck.

            leave all the bickering at home and just think about the track and who can do the best job on the day, with luck you will get your wish.

          3. I am 30km away from Monza and while you may be in a bedroon with the blinds down there is a party going on here. Not because of the pole today but because of the history and passion that exists here for a team that has not changed for over 70 years. If you had any idea about the history of Ferrari. You may read but never understand what it is about. The team has more soul and desire than the old man had in his last 20 years. He was the greatest team owner ever but lost the desire to compete. He wanted to give up racing and sell out to GM. If it was not for Luca Ferrari would not exsist anymore. Stop being bitter just because whoever you want to win is not on pole. Ferrari in P1 at Monza is like Lotus/Mclaren/Williams at silverstone. Grow up and appreciate what the sport is all about. The only travesty here is your comments. Time for dinner and enjoyment.

            1. Fully agree. I think it is an enormous boost for the whole of F1 to have a great qualifying and race. Having a Ferrari on Pole makes the party even bigger.
              Sure, in the end i would rather have someone else winning the WDC, but they can keep it tight as long as possible and this grid gives us very good chances of that.

            2. I’d have to agree as well. It’s really nice to see someone other than Webber or Vettel on pole for a change.

          4. I didn’t say you weren’t allowed to criticise them. However anyone with sense should be able to see that talking about signing the wrong driver isn’t as Ferrari are a “soulless automation”. Considering that Ferrari genuinely won this weekend in a straight, clean, fair fight, the timing of your insults are also very poor.

            You may hate Ferrari, and I understand that, but calling them soulless is an insult that is wildly off-mark. I’m sick of discussing this to be honest, just read the post below from rampante, a more knowledgable tifosi than I, and you’ll see that they haven’t sold their souls.

        2. I agree, this is the kind of driving we want to see from Alonso if he wants to take the WDC this year.

          Good job, and good luck.

          1. I didn’t like Ferrari’s decision in the German GP, I do expected them to have a bigger penalty in the WMSC hearing but I think they did a good job today & it will be very disappointing if they can’t turn it into a win.

      2. How old are you? 5?
        Stupid comment.

    2. I hope Hamiltons engine blows on the formation lap, and i hope that Hamilton crashes in the all races left.
      I also hope, that you will stop anti supporting Alonso. Go to hell.

      1. Seb might just crash into Hamilton right at the start and make you happy (and he might take Webber with him in one go as well).

        1. Would be great to see Hamiltn Webber take each other out, and get the rest of the drivers back in the championship.

    3. Great lap from Alonso, I hope Massa or Button wins though, or because of the predictions Hamilton

    4. Alonso is cooler than Hamilton and his haters. May he win tomorrow with lotsa seconds to spare!

      1. Who is the ‘coolest’ driver on the grid I wonder… Jenson has to be up there, Bruno perhaps, Heikki or even Kobayashi (controversial)?

        Whoever it is, it certainly isn’t Hamilton or Alonso!

    5. Guys.. Any idea what sort of configuration are the Ferrari’s running? Is it more rear wing, with F-duct or the Monza spec rear wing which gives them more straight line speed?
      Anyone predicting some order changes past the first corner due to slip-streaming?

    6. Lets all the top teams engines blows up so that Lotus, Virgin & HRT can fight & get some points between them.

      “I think tomorrow we need a podium minimum to remain in the fight” does the guy lacks confidence? he starting on pole & I think Massa will be behind him at the end of turn 1 if we have any drama.Massa won’t beat him he should be happy.

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