Fernando Alonso on Saturday warned disappointed McLaren fans that things will be worse, before they are better, after he and Jenson Button failed to progress from Q1 at the British Grand Prix.

Two-time champion Alonso will start 17th and 2009 champion Button 18th, the first time both failed to make the cut since the Chinese Grand Prix in April.

"Everything is going worse than we had expected, in principle, but once we saw the situation in the third or fourth race, what we are achieving now is better than expected," said the Spaniard.

"I understand that being out in Q1 doesn't look that way, from the outside, but we are calm….

"When we arrive in Hungary, in three weeks, it will be the same, and when we arrive in Spa, it will be the same.

"So if anyone's bored they should tune in for Japan or Mexico, because there will be worse races than this. We know that. Our plan is for them to be worse than this, to start penalising and to change things."

Amazingly, for many of the disappointed home fans backing the British-based McLaren team at the circuit, Alonso said Saturday’s qualifying had been one of their best this year.

"I know it sounds contradictory, but we had never been 1.5 seconds off Ferrari, which had put on the medium tyres, on the second longest track of the year.

"And I think the gap to the first (pole) is smaller, but we have a bit of a power deficit right now and until we improve we will be suffering."

Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes took pole position ahead of his team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg.
Source: AFP