The Belgian GP has been both a battleground and a bittersweet ground for Fernando Alonso. As he celebrated his 42nd birthday, hopes were high for a strong performance and points for the Spanish driver. However, fate had other plans, and the rain that fell on the track brought both opportunities and challenges that would test Alonso’s mettle. Unfortunately, the day turned out to be a dark and gray one, with a series of events culminating in disappointment for Alonso and his team.

Aston Martin initially showed promise as RBR’s closest challenger with 6 podiums in the first 8 races. However, the team had struggled to maintain momentum, falling back into the chasing pack as McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari made significant progress. The Belgian GP weekend was particularly challenging for Alonso and his teammate Lance Stroll. During the qualifying session for the Sprint race, Stroll’s crash in SQ2 prevented Alonso from setting a lap time, leaving him starting from 15th on the grid. The risky weather conditions further complicated matters, and Alonso’s attempt to chase points in the Sprint ended in a spin and gravel trap, resulting in zero points.

In the aftermath, Alonso took full responsibility for the incident, according to Marca stating, “It’s my fault, but I was going to take zero points no matter what, so I have zero points on gravel. I couldn’t do a lap in Q2 because of the Lance’s accident, I start behind, I can’t enter the first lap either because Stroll was in front and was going to lose time, so I entered at the second opportunity.”

“The truth is that it has been a gray day, almost dark gray. I’m looking forward to seeing how we’re doing tomorrow in the dry. I want to turn the page now. Today we leave with zero points for both cars, so hopefully tomorrow we add the two.” [translated via Google]

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With hopes for dry conditions, Alonso looked forward to turning the page and making a fresh start. But Alonso also had another incident involving Nico Hulkenberg.

Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg Clash in Wet Conditions

Nico Hulkenberg’s weekend was marred by challenges as he started from last place in the sprint race. The Haas F1 driver struggled to make significant progress, finishing 15th. Despite picking up a few positions early on, Hulkenberg found himself stuck in 15th, lacking the necessary pace to move further up the grid. During the sprint race, he had a fierce duel with Fernando Alonso.

Alonso aggressively pushed Hulkenberg off track during a battle for position, resulting in the German driver losing ground, leading Hulkenberg to remark that “karma hit back” when Alonso later spun out and retired. The incident, coupled with challenging visibility and spray from the cars, added to Hulkenberg’s difficult weekend at the Belgian GP.

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What do you think will Alonso get a podium finish today?

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