Alonso praises Aston Martin's car after Sao Paulo race

Fernando Alonso finished 12th at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, outside the points, but described his Aston Martin as "phenomenal" after a weekend in which the team showed genuine pace. He had qualified inside the top ten for the first time this season.

During the opening stint Alonso held his own against Ferrari and Mercedes machinery and at one point passed Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari on merit. His challenge faded as the race went on, but he said the car performed well through Interlagos' demanding corners, and suggested that over the final laps he might have been around a second per lap quicker than the Mercedes cars, though he acknowledged the car's straight-line deficiencies.

Teammate Lance Stroll retired with an ERS-related battery problem. Team figure Mike Krack said the team was satisfied with the weekend, as it had finished ahead of competitors with faster cars in qualifying and the race.