Fernando Alonso says there was nothing wrong with Ferrari in qualifying for the European Grand Prix, and the team just paid the price for the field being so close in Q2.
Both Alonso and Felipe Massa missed out on making the top 10 on the grid, despite both being within 0.3sec of the fastest lap in that segment. When asked what made the difference between Ferrari's strong qualifying performance in Canada and this weekend, Alonso said: "I think how close the times were. From a handling point of view, driving the car, everything was good.
"In Montreal we were four tenths from the quickest in Q2, and here we were two tenths from the quickest in Q2. Performance-wise, it is one of the best performances for us this year. Position-wise, it is one of the worst."
Alonso added that while Ferrari was so close to the pace, that was not to suggest that the team deserved to qualify any higher.
"We were not quick enough," he said. "Normally, if you get into Q3 it is because you deserve it and because you do the job. We will try to recover tomorrow and try to gain some positions."