Fernando Alonso was the last driver to take the chequered flag at the end of the Australian Grand Prix.
But a little over 24 hours earlier this Alpine driver looked on course to pull off a major upset. Following a problem with his car in qualifying, he endured a luckless Sunday, as his radio messages relate.
Alonso set the timing screen alight with his first run in Q3, until he reached turn 11. There a hydraulic problem caused a failed downshift, pitching him wide and into a barrier.
The only upside was the lack of significant damage the gearbox meant Alonso’s car could be repaired without penalty. But a potential starting position on the first two rows turned into 10th on the grid.
With the soft tyres proving too fragile for a race stint and the mediums preferred by most drivers, Alonso was among the minority of drivers who opted to start the race on hard tyres. This promised to pay off if the race ran for a long time without a Safety Car period.
Qualifying misfortune left Alonso…