First GP in top-5
The first test of the season in Bahrain did not offer the best version of Fernando Alonso, author of a lackluster performance that had not spared some criticism. However, in Saudi Arabia, the two-time world champion definitely highlighted his qualities throughout the weekend. In addition to having set the best time in PL2, the Aston Martin driver placed himself on the second row with a convincing 4th placeand then crossed the finish line in fifth position.
It can't get better than this
Exactly as in the days following the Sakhir race, in which he stated that he expected not to be able to do better than 9th place, Alonso repeated the same statements, but this time with more satisfaction and in happier tones: “I am very happy to have finished fifth – commented – I think finishing ahead of a McLaren, a Ferrari and both Mercedes is a great result for the team and probably the maximum we can get at the moment. It was intense from start to finish and I had Russell very close for most of the race. We were a bit uncertain with over 40 laps on the hard tire set, but we managed everything well and managed to make the one-stop strategy work. We will continue to try to achieve better performances and focus on the long term, because the season ahead of us is very long.”
Wall Stroll
An overall positive Saudi weekend for Alonso, protagonist of a final time attack in qualifying in which he managed to improve on his best times set previously. Quite the opposite of what the other Aston Martin demonstrated Lance Strollespecially in competition.
10th in qualifying, the Canadian then violently impacted the barriers following a contact with the wall during the ninth lap. An accident that made it necessary to bring in the Safety Car: “A disappointing way to end a good weekend – He admitted – I pushed hard in the first laps, the cars around us were definitely faster and the tires were already struggling. I was trying to create a gap and I hit the wall. There are positive aspects to consider: the team scored points in both races and we believe the car still has more pace to unlock. I'm already looking at Australia: it's a race and a country that I really like and I'm sure we can regain the momentum.”
#Alonso #5th #place #achieve
