Fernando Alonso has stated Aston Martin has the “worst car” and the “worst engine” after a disastrous qualifying session in Barcelona.
Alonso ended the Q1 segment in 22nd and slowest, and was out-qualified by team-mate Lance Stroll for the first time in 42 rounds.
The challenges were compounded by a dramatic one-second gap to Cadillac ahead, who is taking part in just its seventh F1 event.
But for Alonso, Aston Martin's form was an unsurprising development on Saturday.
“I came here knowing that we are last, and we are last,” Alonso told media including RacingNews365.
“No surprises today.”
Aston Martin has been struggling since the start of the campaign and is targeting a mid-season turnaround to move up the grid.
When asked if the Barcelona track exposed the car's biggest weaknesses, Alonso retorted: “No, nothing exposed.
“We know that we have the worst car and the worst engine. We’ve been very clear in every race so far that we have to work.
“In the second part of the year arrives a new car on the aerodynamic side, arrives a new engine, and we have the hopes there.
“We repeat every weekend,” he added.
“We will arrive in Austria in two weeks, we will be last in qualifying. We know the weaknesses. We know that we have to work, and we are on it.”
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