“Oh, so unlucky!” How Alonso’s cursed Austrian Grand Prix unfolded on his radio · RaceFans

Fernando Alonso left the Red Bull Ring with one of the most hard-earned points in his career of almost record-breaking length.

The Alpine driver’s weekend began to go awry when his car refused to fire up before the start of Saturday’s sprint race. That condemned him to line up on the back row of the grid.

His A522 was coaxed into life for the grand prix, however. There it spent the opening laps at the back of a queue of cars which Alonso was clearly capable of lapping faster than.

Alonso demonstrated his characteristically terrific race pace when he had the chance to. Unfortunately his team found it difficult to seize those opportunities, and Alonso made his feelings clear when he emerged immediately behind a rival after one pit stop.

That pace put him on course for a finish well inside the top 10, potentially even immediately behind team mate Esteban Ocon, who had started sixth and finished a season-best fifth. But Alonso was dealt another blow when a wheel worked loose after what should have been his final pit stop, forcing him back in.

Nonetheless he displayed impressive tenacity by fighting back into the top 10 again, and snatching the final point from Valtteri Bottas as they began their last lap. Even so, it was a race which left you wondering where he might have finished had he started where he should have done.

Fernando Alonso’s Austrian Grand Prix team radio messages

From 19th on the grid, Alonso immediately picked off Sebastian Vettel at the start. However he then found himself stuck behind Nicholas Latifi, and unable to get past the Williams.

Alonso claimed Latifi was repeatedly exceeding track limits. However the stewards did not agree the Williams driver was running wide as often as his pursuer claimed. At the point Alonso said Latifi had…