Fernando Alonso of the Aston Martin F1 Team spoke at the FIA Press Conference on February 28, 2024. He discussed the team’s new approach in an effort to avoid the same issues they faced last season. Alonso’s move from Alpine to Aston Martin coincided with the team’s strong start to the season, where they achieved six podium finishes in the first eight races. However, they struggled with ineffective upgrades and slipped to fifth place in the standings. Aston Martin is now focusing on evolving their AMR24 car to maintain competitiveness in the highly competitive development race. Alonso believes it will take a few races to accurately assess where Aston Martin stands compared to Red Bull. He acknowledges that the Bahrain Grand Prix track has unique characteristics that may not provide a clear performance chart. Therefore, the team will need to wait and see how they perform in the first few races before determining their competitive order.
In the world of motorsport, Aston Martin faced a challenging season in the past. However, according to Alonso, the team has gained valuable insights from their previous campaign that will aid them in their quest for championships. He believes that their approach in 2023 was different, starting with a solid foundation that surprised them with its effectiveness. However, they faced difficulties off the track in terms of car development and other aspects. Nonetheless, they learned significant lessons throughout the year.
Looking ahead to 2024, Alonso expresses optimism. Aston Martin begins the season with a strong foundation and has numerous plans in the works for the rest of the year. The team’s ability to maintain the pace of car development and compete with the top teams will be a crucial aspect to monitor. Last year, they fell short of expectations in this regard, but they are determined to improve and meet those standards.