• Singapore Grand Prix

Alonso delighted with damage limitation

Fernando Alonso: "To win more points against three of our competitors was positive" © Getty Images

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Fernando Alonso said his third place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix was a better result than he had hoped for going into the weekend.

Ferrari struggled to match the pace of McLaren and Red Bull throughout the weekend and Alonso started from fifth on the grid. However, he managed to finish ahead of three of his four title rivals with Lewis Hamilton, who was second heading into the weekend, retiring from the race with a gearbox problem.

"It is a very positive weekend and a very strong weekend," Alonso said. "With the four title contenders we lost points with one and with the other three we increased the advantage. When we are not quick enough, to win more points against three of our competitors was positive."

Alonso said his qualifying lap had been the key to limiting the damage in the championship standings.

"We were not very competitive this weekend and we were struggling a little bit with the pace of the car. Yesterday we managed to put together a good lap in Q3 and that was a little bit the best part of the weekend because if you put yourself at the rear [of the grid] you are in problems for the whole of the race.

"We started fifth but the start was so-so and we lost position to di Resta and then we recovered it in the first and second corner. Then we were fighting a little bit with Maldonado and the safety car arrived at the worst moment for us because we changed the tyres five laps before the safety car. So we didn't have the pit stop for free that the others had. So with all these difficulties, to arrive third is a fantastic result in terms of points."

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