Alonso: "Today I did a time trial on a bicycle, with an engine"

Fernando Alonso once again extracted maximum performance where there was little room for it. The Asturian driver secured a commendable seventh place in the Austrian Grand Prix, after a race lacking pace but with brilliant strategic insight. Without a car to compete head-to-head, Alonso clung to a simple yet effective idea: stick to the rear wing of Liam Lawson and not let go.

"Today I raced as if it were a time trial on a bicycle: I just had to stay behind, in the slipstream, benefit from the DRS, and push in the corners to catch up again. It was my only option," explained the Aston Martin driver, who described his performance as "an extension" of the New Zealander. "If I was left alone, I was half a second slower. I told the team: 'we stop when he stops'."

The seventh place, unexpected given the limitations of the AMR25 in Spielberg, also had an unexpected ally: Lando Norris. The British McLaren driver, who won authoritatively and lapped half the field, triggered the blue flags at just the right moment. "Thanks to Norris, because I thought I couldn't defend against Bortoleto. Without that blue flag, it would have been impossible," he admitted with a laugh. "I'll pay for dinner," he joked.

Alonso also praised the Brazilian from Sauber, whom he represents, for his best result in Formula 1: "Hopefully this unlocks a good streak in the points. The Sauber is no longer last year's car. It can lead the midfield." Like himself, who continues to score without ceasing to teach.

Carlos Sainz experienced one of his most bitter weekends of the season in Austria. The Madrid driver didn't even make it to the start of the race, after his Williams suffered a brake fire during the formation lap. Although he managed to start the car after being stuck on the grid, upon reaching the pit box, he discovered the problem was even more serious than expected. And that was the end of it.

"Too many problems yesterday, too many problems today. This weekend I couldn't show the real pace that I know we had, and that frustrates me," admitted Sainz after the retirement. The truth is that the nightmare began on Saturday, with a disastrous qualifying that already left him out of position. The final blow was that critical failure that took him out of the scene even before the lights went out.

Aware of the setback, the Williams driver prefers to look ahead: "It's time to stay focused and work even harder as a team to learn from this challenging period and come back stronger." The next challenge will be special: Silverstone, the home of many on the grid and also of the rival team now dominating the scene, McLaren. "I have full confidence that if we manage to execute clean weekends, better results will come. We must keep pushing!" he concluded.