Fernando Alonso impresses with car performance in Jeddah
Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, a two-time Formula 1 champion, had a contrasting experience at the season opener in Bahrain, where he qualified in sixth place but finished ninth in the race.
However, in Jeddah, the AMR24 showed impressive speed in a single lap, with Alonso even leading the second free practice session and fighting for the top of the time sheets during qualifying, finishing in fourth place.
According to a statement on Motorsport.com, Alonso expressed his surprise at the car’s performance in one lap. He acknowledged that being on the second row of the grid is not the usual position for the team, which is normally the fifth fastest team behind McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes, as was the case in Bahrain. Alonso admitted that although they are highly competitive in one lap, there are concerns about race pace.
Alonso also mentioned that they made some adjustments to the car’s setup to address their difficulties in long races. The result of these changes would be revealed on Saturday night.
Based on what was seen on Saturday night in Jeddah, it seems that the adjustments made by Aston Martin to the car’s setup paid off. Alonso finished in fifth place, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in fourth, while Red Bull secured another one-two finish, with Charles Leclerc in third.
Alonso expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating that the pace was better than in Bahrain. However, he still believes they are faster in qualifying than in the race. Despite this, he was able to compete with McLaren and Mercedes during the race.
The 42-year-old driver acknowledged that they took a small step in the right direction, but emphasized the need to make more progress, especially in terms of race pace. He also highlighted the advantage they gained with the Safety Car and the circumstances surrounding the pit stops of Hamilton, Norris, and Carlos Sainz.
With two races completed, Alonso currently holds the seventh position in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings, accumulating 12 points.
