Alonso: Overtaking 'Nearly Impossible' at New Madrid Circuit

Fernando Alonso says overtaking will be "nearly impossible" at the new Madring circuit this weekend, as Aston Martin's straight-line deficit leaves him with little room for error. The two-time champion's Friday practice was further compromised by a clutch issue that cost him valuable track time, leaving him "out of sync" ahead of qualifying.

Why it matters:

The Spanish Grand Prix debuts at the Madrid circuit, a narrow, 22-corner layout where track position is paramount. For Alonso, racing in front of his home crowd, a strong result depends on extracting maximum performance in qualifying — a tall order given the AMR26's lack of top-end speed.

The details:

• Alonso completed just 16 laps in FP2 after a clutch problem at the start of the session, finishing 17th fastest.
• He described the day as "a little bit behind the programme," with traffic further complicating his running.
• Lando Norris failed to set a time due to a gearbox issue on his McLaren, offering Alonso a glimmer of hope for Q2.
• The only red flag of the day came from Arvid Lindblad's spin at Turn 13 in FP2.
• Honda power unit sensitivity: Alonso says tyre temperature and battery state of charge at the end of the lap are tricky to manage, with the car "very sensitive" to driving style in the final corners — "a couple of things we need to fix."

What's next:

Qualifying will be critical, but Alonso insists there is still "hope for Sunday" if the team executes perfectly. With walls close and safety cars likely, the race could offer opportunities even if qualifying falls short.