The Aston Martin Formula 1 team has been facing difficulties during the current F1 season. Fernando Alonso, the Aston Martin F1 driver, admitted that he did everything he could after a disappointing sprint qualifying session. Alonso was eliminated in Q2 on Friday as he struggled to find speed in the AMR24 car in Spielberg.
Alonso has had a tough season so far and is currently in ninth place in the championship, with only 41 points after ten races. The Aston Martin AMR24 car has also been quite different from its 2023 version, which has contributed to the downfall of the Silverstone-based team this season.
Despite this, Alonso mentioned that the car felt good in both Q1 and Q2 in Austria, as it performed well in corners and straights. However, he was shocked when the AMR24 failed to make it into the top 10 after a promising session.
“It was very tight out there, as we expected. I was pleased with my laps in Sprint Qualifying and I believe we achieved the best time in both Q1 and Q2. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to make it to Q3 today,” said Fernando Alonso.
Aston Martin will now seek to maximize their results from the 12th and 13th positions on the grid for the sprint race. Additionally, the team will have another opportunity to perform better in the main race on Sunday, hoping for an improved performance in qualifying.
Similarly, Lance Stroll also missed out on Q3. He mentioned that his last lap in Q2 could have been better for him if not for a mistake at the end. Stroll recently signed a contract extension with Aston Martin and has been eager to perform well in Austria.
“We still have some work to do, but the car had a little more speed today. I was pushing out there to get the most out of the lap, but I lost control a bit in the last corner,” said Lance Stroll.
Stroll has been one of the weakest points of the Aston Martin team this season, scoring only 17 points in ten races. However, he acknowledged that the AMR24 car was fast in the corners of the Red Bull Ring, but needed a little more to reach Q3.
The 25-year-old driver further explained that in his ambitious attempt to push the car to the limit, he made a mistake in the last corner of the Red Bull Ring, which may have cost him a better result in the sprint qualifying session. Stroll remains hopeful for better performances in the upcoming events of the Austrian GP race weekend.
