Fernando Alonso felt a podium finish would have been possible in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix without his start grid drama.
The Ferrari driver was given a five-second stop/go penalty for his first stop as mechanics were working on his car after the signal to clear the grid, an issue that the team later attributed to the starter motor.
With Alonso leading third-place finisher Valtteri Bottas before his first pit-stop, he reckons the final rostrum position was up for grabs.
“The battery at the start was the biggest problem because I was in front of Bottas when I stopped, and Bottas finished third. We would have probably been around those positions,” said Alonso, who ultimately classified seventh after McLaren rival Kevin Magnussen was given a penalty for forcing the Spaniard off the circuit.
“We knew that straightline speed was going to be our biggest problem and when you have that penalty and start fighting for the lower positions, that lack of speed has a higher price. But I felt more or less competitive.”