Fernando Alonso, member of the Aston Martin F1 team, expressed that the Formula 1 car for the 2024 season is different from the one used during pre-season testing. This statement came after he secured sixth position in the qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Alonso acknowledged that their position last year was stronger, but felt optimistic after performing well in the second practice session. He recognized that Aston Martin needs to catch up to their competitors in order to replicate their podium position from the previous season opener. Despite this, Alonso managed to qualify in sixth place, trailing Max Verstappen, the pole position, by three tenths of a second. He surpassed Lewis Hamilton, the McLarens, and Sergio Perez. Alonso expressed his satisfaction with the result and considered it a pleasant surprise, especially since there were doubts about the performance in a fast lap after winter testing. He mentioned that the car seemed different during the free practices, but approached the qualifying session cautiously. However, they were pleasantly surprised to find themselves competitive and mixed with Ferrari, ahead of Hamilton and alongside the McLarens. Alonso attributed the improvements to the configuration changes made on the AMR24, which helped address the inconsistencies encountered during winter testing. He explained that the changes made throughout the weekend were in line with his expectations and provided a higher level of confidence in the car, allowing them to extract its maximum potential.
However, a successful qualifying session is good, but points are distributed on race day and Alonso anticipates a highly competitive battle.
Once again, reflecting on the testing period, the Spanish driver did not feel particularly confident during longer races. As a result, he is taking a cautious approach and waiting to see if the pace demonstrated on Friday will be maintained on Saturday.
“I believe we had some average performances during the winter and even yesterday, we didn’t seem particularly impressive. However, we will wait to see what happens tomorrow,” Alonso added.
“I anticipate a close race. Competing within a group of cars is never an easy task to handle, especially when it comes to managing tires and other factors.
“This is an unexpectedly fantastic start for us. We gained valuable knowledge as a team last year on how to become a strong competitor.
“If we aspire to challenge teams like Ferrari and Mercedes, we must elevate our level of development. Throughout the season, we started with a solid foundation for our car, but remained stagnant for several races. This year, we have implemented a new approach to car design and updates, and starting with a good performance fills me with great optimism for the rest of the season.”
