Fernando Alonso oozed class in the Chinese GP Sprint race. After Max Verstappen overtook him for P2 in Lap 7, the Aston Martin racer nearly secured P3 till the end. But Carlos Sainz, in the DRS train behind him, didn’t hold back. The 2 Spaniards engaged in an extreme wheel-to-wheel battle for the remaining podium place. Alas, Sainz’s aggressive maneuvers ruled Alonso out of the Sprint Race with a puncture. Moreover, his AMR24 might be in trouble for the upcoming Qualifying session as well.

There was a dramatic tension brewing between Alonso and Sainz till Lap 15. The 2-time champion, with his supreme race craft, kept Sainz out of overtaking opportunities. Finally, in Lap 16, the Ferrari driver lunged down the inside of Alonso’s Aston Martin in Turn 6. It was then that the vintage 2-time champion shined through.

The 2 drivers went wheel-to-wheel into Turn 7. Unfortunately, their cars got a bit too close, with Sainz’s front left making contact with Alonso’s front right. Despite this, the battle continued into Turn 8, where Sergio Perez, in P5, exploited them, going wide to make a double overtake for P3. Alonso lost 3 positions in that Lap and the contact from Turn 7 eventually punctured his tire.

A brilliant Sprint race came to an unfortunate end for him. As it turns out, the puncture and the eventual retirement weren’t the only problems he had. Alonso’s AMR had sustained damage to the underbody (floor) after the battle with Sainz’s SF24. Unless the Aston Martin engineers repair it by Qualifying, the Spaniard might have a slower car for the session. This could also hamper his position in the main race tomorrow.

The Sprint Race podium could’ve been a historic feat for Alonso as he is the only driver from the current grid who raced in the inaugural Chinese GP in 2004 and is doing so 20 years later. It is this experience that is reflected in his nonchalant comments despite the hurtful retirement.

Fernando Alonso calmly reflects on the “difficult” Chinese GP Sprint Race

The Aston Martin driver is one of the most successful Chinese GP drivers. He has won the race twice – in 2005 with Renault, and in 2013 with Ferrari. His battle with Carlos Sainz was just another example of his brilliance, though the duo got a tad aggressive in the end. Alonso believes that this battle was his to lose in any case.

“It was difficult to keep the whole group behind,” the Spaniard said after the Sprint race, as quoted by Motorsport. “In the end, I guess they would have passed me and I would have finished seventh or whatever, which I don’t know if it’s two points, so we haven’t lost much either.”

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The calm two-time champion continues to boost adrenaline on the grid and among fans with his racing in an otherwise ‘boring’ competition. Even non-fans of Alonso are now hoping for his car to be repaired by Qualifying.