Action, Bahrain International Circuit, GP2401a, F1, GP, Bahrain
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24
Aston Martin entered the 2023 Formula 1 season with some uncertainty about their performance. They were not as impressive as at the beginning of the season, where they finished second, only behind Red Bull. However, in the qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix last week, Fernando Alonso managed to secure sixth place on the grid, in a commendable effort. Unfortunately, the race on Saturday did not reflect this strong qualifying performance for Aston Martin.
Despite his best efforts, Alonso could not improve his ninth position, leaving Aston Martin at the bottom of the top five teams. Red Bull took first place, followed by Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren, with the latter two teams very close. Aston Martin lagged behind. Despite this, Alonso was not surprised by the result and stated that his simulations predicted a ninth position with little competition ahead. The top four teams were far ahead, and there was a comfortable gap behind Aston Martin. Alonso noted that he had McLaren 18 seconds ahead and the Saubers 28 seconds behind, leaving Aston Martin in a race of its own.
Alonso also emphasized that his qualifying performance did not accurately represent the pace of the AMR24. He believed that his exceptional lap during qualifying was not indicative of his overall speed. Aston Martin is lacking pace and will need to analyze why they were so fast during qualifying. Alonso considered the race to be normal, with the highlight being his impressive lap in qualifying.
The Aston Martin had a good start to the 2023 F1 season, but gradually lost ground to Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren as these teams outpaced them in development. Despite a late-season upgrade, the AMR23 did not show improvements. However, Alonso revealed that Aston Martin is taking a different approach in 2024. They intend to start with a competitive package and ensure proper development throughout the season.
“When I visited the factory during the holidays and in January, the expectations were very realistic,” said the Spanish driver. “We were aware of the kind of progress we were making during the winter. However, we completely changed our approach to the championship, starting with a solid foundation and continuously improving throughout the season.
“Last year, we put all our efforts into the beginning of the season and couldn’t keep up with the pace of the top teams. So, this year we have higher hopes for the latter part of the championship.
“Naturally, we need to confirm this in the coming weeks and races. However, I am confident and satisfied. To be honest, I hope our team is the fourth or fifth fastest, just like we finished last year. So, we are starting from the same point where we left off in Abu Dhabi.
“Now, it is our responsibility to take a significant step forward, just like McLaren’s transformation in 2023, and become a stronger team in the second half,” he added, referring to McLaren’s major upgrade in Austria that had a positive impact on their season.
When asked about his predictions for the second F1 race in Saudi Arabia this week, Alonso replied: “Let’s wait and see. I believe it will be interesting, as the circuit characteristics are quite different.
“The car for this year has only been tested here during the winter and in the first race, so it will be the first opportunity to compare it on a different track. Besides Aston Martin, I believe that the performance of the cars will be similar to last year.
“Ferrari was the second fastest team last year and remains strong this year. Leclerc’s unfortunate incident prevented them from reaching the podium in Bahrain, but they managed to secure one this year.
“In Saudi Arabia, Aston Martin and Mercedes were slightly ahead of Ferrari, so we will see if we and Mercedes are ready to challenge them. However, I hope that Red Bull maintains their dominance,” concluded Alonso.
© 2024
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