Fernando Alonso says pain was 'worth it' for Hungary Q3

Fernando Alonso says he’s glad he didn’t sit out the Hungarian GP, after pushing through a painful back injury to qualify fifth on Saturday.

The Aston Martin driver, 44, missed FP1 as he continued treatment for a small muscle tear sustained during the Belgian GP. Reserve Felipe Drugovich took his place, but Alonso returned for FP2 and completed the weekend with strong pace.

“Yeah, man, it’s better to be in the car here and not watching it on TV when we’re in Q3 than at Spa, right?” he told Mundo Deportivo. “I could have easily missed it because we were last or second to last, but hey, you never choose that.”

An MRI scan earlier in the week confirmed a lumbar muscle tear, which Alonso attributed to damage sustained during the Spa race. “It causes me a bit of pain or discomfort when I’m sitting,” he said. “But it’s bearable. If you’re a normal person, you’d be out for two weeks.”

To help manage the discomfort, Aston Martin installed air cushions in his seat. Trackside boss Mike Krack said the team remained cautious: “Every lap less is good. We’re confident it’ll be fine.”

Alonso also credited recent upgrades for the car’s improved form. “The Imola floor, the Silverstone floor, the front wing at Spa – all three have met exactly what we expected,” he said. But he acknowledged that Hungary’s layout also played a role. “We haven’t changed the car much. It’s just that the layout suits our car perfectly.”