Untelevised footage from the Brazilian Grand Prix has
uncovered the moment Fernando Alonso climbed gingerly out of his Aston Martin
cockpit at the end of a punishing race at Interlagos.
Having started ninth after a crash in the delayed Sunday
morning qualifying session, Alonso endured
a challenging race en route to a distant 14th place in Sao Paulo.
Fernando Alonso physical woes uncovered in unseen
Brazilian GP footage
With his Aston Martin car
struggling with extreme porpoising, Alonso was heard issuing an anguished team
radio message to his team in the closing laps.
“I will finish the race for the mechanics,” the two-time
World Champion said. “They did a very good job today.
“But my back is hurting, man. This bouncing is not
normal.”
A clip filmed by a fan from the pit and paddock building at
Interlagos has revealed how Alonso struggled to haul himself out of his car in
parc ferme at the end of the race.
In the clip, Alonso is greeted by two Aston Martin mechanics
as he slowly lifts himself up into a standing position.
Alonso is then seen resting on the halo of his car for
approximately 15 seconds as one mechanics pats the veteran on the back while
comforting him.
At this point, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who retired from
the race after 38 laps after a crash, is seen arriving at the scene having
returned from the infield section of the circuit.
Sainz stops momentarily and appears to look concerned for
his Spanish compatriot before proceeding to the weighing area.
Alonso then hops slowly out of his car and is embraced by
the mechanic, who continues to comfort him, before walking away with his head
bowed.
Alonso’s physical struggles capped off a dreadful day for
Aston Martin, who were forced to revert to a previous specification after both
drivers crashed out of qualifying and saw Alonso’s team-mate Lance Stroll fail
to start after an issue on the formation lap.
Speaking to reporters, Alonso described his race as “a
nightmare” having struggled with a brake issue as well as his other ailments.
And admitted he “probably would have” withdrawn from the
race if his mechanics had not put in so much work to repair his car after
qualifying.
He said: “It was a lot of bouncing, a lot of porpoising in
the second half of the race. I don’t know why.
“It was a tough race, we were out of the points. I think in any other circumstances, probably I would have stopped.
.webp)
