At this start to the 2024 Formula 1 season, Aston Martin is certainly not the team that impressed everyone 12 months ago by emerging as second force behind the elusive Red Bull. Yet there is an AMR24 that continues to consistently go beyond the limits imposed by itself, regularly finishing ahead of more accredited and higher-performance single-seaters. And it is always that of Fernando Alonso.
Even today the Spaniard achieved a sixth place which smells like an excellent result. Of course, if compared with last year's podiums it jars a bit, but the driver from Oviedo himself is putting in all his effort – like the team – to go beyond the current limits of the single-seater and collect very significant points.
At the end of the Japanese Grand Prix, which ended in sixth place thanks to a precise race with great tactical sagacity with which he kept Russell and Piastri behind him, Fernando Alonso used words that caused a sensation, stating that the Suzuka race should be place among the best 5 of his career in the world championship Circus. Part provocation, part evaluation of the situation. But when he speaks, Alonso is never banal.
“Obviously I wasn't so confident about keeping Piastri and Russell behind me, because at the end of the race you know what kind of pace the others had. But yes, I think this is my best weekend… I don't know… I think it's in the Top 5, in the Top 5 of my entire career. I think that the fifth place obtained yesterday in qualifying with that lap and the sixth place today in the race are results completely outside of what, in reality, we can do. So yes , I'm really proud.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24
Photo credit: Aston Martin Racing
Fernando explained his statement better, which made by a two-time world champion may leave one speechless. The 42-year-old, however, knows well what Aston Martin's current potential is: a fifth row, ninth and tenth place car. But it is now in Jeddah that he goes well beyond expectations having collected a fifth and two sixth places in the race.
“Let me explain better. I believe that Aston Martin is the fifth fastest team with a considerable gap from fourth and with a good margin over sixth. We are quite stable in fifth place among the teams. I believe that there is no way to compare Aston Martin with Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes. So that's why finishing fifth and sixth is unusual to say the least.”
“We also did it in Australia. We finished in sixth place and here too. Yes, then fifth in Jeddah, so we are executing everything perfectly on the weekends. I think the others are experimenting more with strategies and other things. We, on the other hand, , we are also capitalizing in those aspects. But what is certain is that we must improve the race pace. That's for sure.”
In this regard, Alonso stated that Aston Martin will soon debut other innovations with the specific intention of improving the performance of the AMR24 after having introduced part of the first package already at Suzuka. Yet, at least until today, it seems that it is the human contribution that makes the difference: his, but also that of his mechanics, thanks to noteworthy performances in the pit stops.
“I think there are a couple of things in the pipeline to improve the car. I think this first package is just the basis of what we will introduce later in the season. So we still have to analyze many aspects. But, as I said, we are getting excellent results on Sunday, maximizing the points. So, even more than we normally deserve. The pit stops, for example, were fantastic, you know, actually at the second stop, when I saw the green light, and I went, I said ' Whoa, maybe they didn't change all four tires, because you know, this is… It felt like the fastest ever!”
“So I don't know, I'm curious to see the time. There are little things here and there that make the result possible. But I think fundamentally the pace is not what we would like. And this is something we need to focus on now.”
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