Fernando Alonso: You can't take too many risks in a race.

      Fernando Alonso was close to making it into the second part of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, but ultimately set the seventeenth fastest time. The Spanish driver is satisfied with the result, considering all the issues with the power unit that have been plaguing the team.

      His teammate Lance Stroll did not set a time in any of the weekend sessions that would fit within 107% of the pole time, but team principal Adrian Newey is confident that the FIA will allow Lance to start.

      Fernando Alonso (17th): "There were no issues in the third practice, and in qualifying, I was able to go much faster simply because I completed more laps. The car has potential, but it’s clear that we need to cover more distance.

      We have a limited number of batteries, so we can't take too many risks tomorrow. But I hope to complete as many laps as possible. We will overcome these challenges together – the whole team and Honda are working hard to fix the situation."

      Lance Stroll (no time): "A challenging weekend, and several issues prevented me from completing the necessary number of laps. The team in the pits worked hard, but we ran out of time to assemble the car before qualifying. Right now, we are not in the positions we want to be in, but we need to keep working to improve."

      Adrian Newey, team principal: "Another busy day in Melbourne. We continue to push for more from the AMR26, working with our technical partner Honda.

      Fernando completed important laps in the final practice, gathering the necessary information for qualifying. He qualified 17th – he was just a bit short of making it into the second part. Clearly, we have a lot of hard work ahead of us.

      Lance was unlucky today – due to engine issues, he missed practice. After the problems were resolved, we ran out of time to assemble the car before qualifying. It’s clear that the AMR26 has the pace to compete in the race, so we will discuss options with the FIA this evening that will allow Lance to participate tomorrow."