Alonso, who had come through Q1 in ninth place and was eighth after the first runs of Q2, finished the session in 13th place.
The two-time champion found Perez’s Red Bull running slow on a lap into the right-hander of Turn 9.
The Spaniard was convinced he had the potential to start well in the top 10 and made his frustration clear on the team radio after realizing he had been knocked out.
“I think it was the traffic in Q2,” he said of his session. “I was P6, P7 all the sessions so far. It was the same case in Q1 then in Q2.
“On that second attempt I was half a second better than the previous lap in Turn 9, then I had a misunderstanding with a Red Bull in front of me, and we lost a lot on that lap. So unfortunately, we are not in Q3, but the pace was there to be in Q3.
“If it’s in Q1 you have a lot of time. The first attempt in Q2 also you have another set. When it’s the moment of truth and the circuit is in the best condition and you have traffic in this round, it’s a bit of a shame, but that’s how it is.
“Zandvoort is a very small track, very narrow, it will always be more difficult here. Monza, it will be something else, with longer straights, it is easier to let people go.
“So unfortunately it happened to us today, and it compromised the weekend a bit.”
The Alpine A522 appeared well-suited at high-speed Spa last week, where Esteban Ocon and Alonso qualified fifth and sixth.
Alonso thinks his car is almost as competitive around the very different and tight Zandvoort, although Ocon struggled to find the rhythm.
Fernando Alonso, Alpine A522
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“I’m not sure, in Q1 I was P6 from the first attempt,” he said. “Carlos [Sainz] was P7, so we’re not that far from Spa.
“At least on my side of the garage, I think the other side has struggled a bit more so far this weekend, but let’s see tomorrow if we can move up.
“It will be extremely difficult. Zandvoort is not a circuit that you want to start in the top 10, but there is nothing we can do about it.”
Asked how many overtakes we might see on Sunday, he said: “Not that many, I think you really need to [big] pace advantage or tire advantage to overtake cars. So it’s going to be as difficult at least as last year.
“It’s going to be more difficult for sure when you’re in a chain of cars, but at the same time it’s up to you to open it a little later.”
He also acknowledged that overheating tires could be a problem in the race.
“It can happen, also tomorrow. It was the case today yes, but tomorrow we expect cloudy conditions, even rain. So I think it will be a different day.”
