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Alonso says Q3 hard to reach, but could work in his favour

Fernando Alonso reckons reaching Q3 in Canada will not be easy for McLaren, but the Spaniard feels it could actually be a blessing for the race.

Fernando Alonso, McLaren MP4-31

Fernando Alonso, McLaren MP4-31

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Fernando Alonso, McLaren MP4-31
Fernando Alonso, McLaren MP4-31
Fernando Alonso, McLaren MP4-31
Jenson Button, McLaren Honda
Fernando Alonso, McLaren
Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-31
Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-31

Alonso qualified in the top 10 in the previous two races in Spain and Monaco, and was 11th quickest in today's second practice session.

The Spaniard believes repeating that result in qualifying tomorrow might actually be positive for him, as he would be able to choose the tyres for the start of the race rather than being forced to use the ultrasofts.

In any case, the McLaren driver expects the Mercedes-engined cars to make it hard for him to reach Q3.

"I think it has been a good Friday, but on Saturday, especially the Mercedes engines take a step forward so tomorrow I'm expecting a very competitive Williams, a very competitive Force India," said Alonso.

"And if we add Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull to that, that's the top 10 positions, without forgetting Toro Rosso and other people who are usually in Q3.

"It will be tougher than it was in Barcelona and Monaco, but we'll try to make it, but it could be one of the races where not going into Q3 could be an advantage as you can choose the tyres for the race.

"Today I was 11th, so if I do the same tomorrow it would almost be the best position, because going into Q3 means starting the race with the ultrasoft and that could be a disadvantage."

Button faces engine decision

Teammate Jenson Button lost track time this morning with an oil leak, which forced an engine change between sessions.

But his FP2 running produced the seventh-fastest time – and Honda will investigate today's issue to see if they will revert to the old power unit or keep the fresh one.

"This afternoon was fine, we put the old engine back in and had no issues," said Button.

"We have to decide tonight what engine we run with tomorrow. Whether it's the new one we put in today, or if it's the engine we've run for the last three races."

When asked if he thought he could make Q3 on Saturday, Button smiled: "We will see. I think you need to aim high."

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