Fernando Alonso Finishes Twelfth in Brazil After Opening-lap Damage

Opening-Lap Damage Undoes Interlagos Grid Success

Muchos no lo recordarán, pero esta ha sido una de mis mejores carreras en Fórmula 1, Fernando Alonso has said more than once after difficult outings, according to elcorreo.com.

That familiar defense did not accompany the race in Brazil, though the event at Interlagos offered plenty of technical challenges and wet weather drama. Max Verstappen drove from 19th on the grid through the field, but Fernando Alonso’s afternoon took a severe turn on the opening lap.

It was not the case of the race in Brazil, although he could have said it and this time it would not be an exaggerated boutade to shake off the anger for failing to score points.

Aston Martin Breaks Through in Saturday Qualifying

Before examining Sunday, elcorreo.com reported that Saturday brought rare success for Aston Martin. The Spanish driver handled the tricky circuit conditions to advance through both the opening qualifying session and Q2.

The Asturian knew how, when, and in what way he had to go out on track to advance not only to Q2 in qualifying, which is an objective he has not always had within reach during this more than forgettable 2026, but even to Q3.

Declaraciones FERNANDO ALONSO POST CARRERA GP BRASIL 2026

For the first time that season, Aston Martin placed both cuts inside the top ten. Assisted by a rival’s penalty and Alex Albon’s performance, Alonso secured the eighth spot on the starting grid.

Senna S Collision Derails Race Strategy

Sunday brought immediate disappointment when the lights went out in São Paulo. Alonso launched reasonably well, but the front wing of his AMR26 sustained serious damage at the Senna S turns after clipping Oliver Bearman’s Haas.

The collision dropped the two-time world champion from eighth to fifteenth place. The incident effectively ended any realistic chance at points early in the grand prix, though elcorreo.com noted he kept fighting.

Lap 10 Duel With Lewis Hamilton

Driving a car with visibly lower performance than his rivals, Alonso struggled to maintain pace on intermediate tires. Yet lap 10 provided a nostalgic duel for veteran fans when he caught Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari.

Alonso faked an inside move, switched his racing line, and drove around the outside of the British driver to claim eleventh position.

Alonso Seeks Points to Surpass 2015 Season Total

When the checkered flag dropped in Brazil, Hamilton finished ninth and Alonso crossed the line in twelfth.

Alonso needs eleven points to avoid finishing the year below his 2015 total with McLaren, leaving him with three races remaining—barring the cancellation of Qatar and/or Abu Dhabi—to secure the four points he lacks to reach what has been his worst result in Formula 1 so far, excluding his debut at Minardi.

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief

Daniel Richardson is the Editor-in-Chief of Archysport, where he leads the editorial team and oversees all published content across nine sport verticals. With over 15 years in sports journalism, Daniel has reported from the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, NFL Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tennis tournaments. He previously served as Senior Sports Editor at Reuters and holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Recognized by the Sports Journalists' Association for excellence in reporting, Daniel is a member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). His editorial philosophy centers on accuracy, depth, and fair coverage — ensuring every story published on Archysport meets the highest standards of sports journalism.

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