Aston Martin lacks speed at Suzuka: 'Difficult to find pace'

Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix did not go smoothly for the Aston Martin team. Both drivers lacked the speed to compete with the top-six. Fernando Alonso still managed to reach Q3 and will start the race from tenth place. Lance Stroll again failed to make it through the first part of qualifying. The Canadian finished qualifying seventeenth.

Alonso states that he knew beforehand that the race at Suzuka was going to be a challenge. He states: "It was difficult for us to find more pace today. I made the most of my laps and I am happy to continue my run of Q3 performances. From track to track the performance levels keep changing, we knew today would be a challenge."

However, the Spaniard is hoping to get some points in the race. He is confident about the race pace of his Aston Martin:"It will be an interesting race, but we are optimistic that we can score good points tomorrow. Usually we are better in the race, so let's see what we can do."

Teammate Lance Stroll was again stranded in Q1. The young Canadian let it be known that he too lacked the speed, and that a mistake at the last corner did not help him drive a fast lap either. "The car here is not as good as we would like and I lost a few tenths coming out of the last corner. That makes all the difference when the field is as tight as it is now," Stroll said.