Indy 500 video: Alonso on Saturday qualifying

Fernando Alonso says it was "unthinkable" that he would be in the Fast Nine at the Indy 500 after his first test at Indianapolis on May 3.

The McLaren-Andretti Honda driver completed his Rookie Orientation Program on earlier in May, completing his first day in an IndyCar at the Brickyard. Speaking to RACER after earning a spot in the Fast Nine with the seventh quickest qualifying run on Saturday, when asked what he'd have said if told that would happen back on May 3, Alonso replied: "Bye bye, and I don't want to waste time if you told me that!

"Because it was unthinkable. Not because you don't trust yourself or whatever but there are many little ingredients here that you need to put together to find the right recipe. There is the wind, there is the trim, with only one lap it is difficult. There is the high boost that you only get a few laps to test on Fast Friday, and today just the conditions changing every single lap. It's a happy surprise, the whole week, but we did nothing so we need to start finding more limits from tomorrow onwards.

"Tomorrow I just want to be quicker! Whatever the car is doing tomorrow, if it picks up one mile per hour tomorrow I will buy it."

Having been pre-warned by his driver coach Gil de Ferran that the qualifying run would be the most horrible laps of his career, Alonso said he was more relaxed in the car than out of it.

"I think it was more stressful off the track and out of the car. I think today with the weather coming, we didn't know what to do and when it could be the possibility to go out. Then when they said, 'You have one attempt only, one shot,' that creates stress for everyone because you have that run. You need to keep it OK for all four laps, the balance, the trim position, all the decisions you have to make, you have only one shot.

"I think the team did a fantastic job again to put me in a car that was able to run 230 mph on average for the four laps. I think there's still more to come, more potential in the car. I didn't maximize the potential of it in lap three or lap four, so I keep learning. Every day is a lesson, so today's lessons hopefully I can put together tomorrow and find more speed.

"The fourth lap the car has been a little bit loose in Turns 1, 3 and 4 but we were scrubbing speed that obviously we don't like. But as I said, more speed will come from us [tomorrow]."

(Video transcription by Chris Medland)