Alpine F1 driver, Fernando Alonso, extended his run of form into Styria, as the Spaniard went to secure P9 on the grid for Sunday’s race.

What’s more, he doesn’t seem to be considering it as an obligation, rather the 2-time world champion is cherishing every second of his time racing in F1.

During the final part of qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, Alonso managed to deliver a stellar lap that witnessed the Alpine driver leap into P7. Despite losing a couple of places after that, Alonso’s reaction to that specific lap was just priceless.

What did Fernando Alonso say?

Alonso’s race engineer could not resist applauding the 39-year-old for putting up an incredible lap together when needed the most. He said, “nice lap mate.”

And then arrived the response from Alonso. “Beautiful! That was good man, so enjoyable. Whatever the position will be, I did enjoy it. Good Saturday guys. It was enjoyable. Yeah, we’ll see you tomorrow. Nice work,” the Spaniard told his race engineer.

At one point in 2018, it looked all but over for Alonso and his career in F1. However, the former McLaren driver never lost trust in himself and reckoned he would soon make a comeback. And now, not only has he made a comeback into F1, it has been a pretty sound one as well.

Alonso is constantly proving that he is very much at the peak of his career by pushing the Alpine to its absolute limits. And he achieved it yet again in Styria earlier on Saturday.

Alonso set for points finish on Sunday?

It has been an incredible phase for Alonso since the race at Azerbaijan when he secured P6 in the rather dramatic race. Similarly, he gifted his team a P8 over their home Grand Prix in France last weekend.

And now, the Spaniard secured an impressive P9 in the Styrian GP qualifying. What’s more, the Spaniard will promote himself up to P8, as the stewards handed Yuki Tsunoda a 3-place grid penalty for impeding Valtteri Bottas.

Hence, starting from the 4th row is quite impressive for Alonso, considering his teammate, Esteban Ocon, suffered a shocking exit early on in Q1 after managing a measly P17.

Alpine’s pace, in the long run, seems quite decent, and Alonso’s starting position could add a crucial factor to his pursuit of what will be his third consecutive points finish.

Furthermore, it all depends on how well Alonso gets away at lights out, and how smart Alpine moves with strategical decisions. So, will the French outfit pull off a perfect Sunday to help Alonso secure a top 10 finish at the Red Bull Ring?