Fernando Alonso, a driver for the Aston Martin F1 Team, expressed concern about the team’s race pace in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Despite his surprise at qualifying in fourth place, Alonso is worried about the team’s ability to score significant points in the race. He acknowledged that the car performed better than expected in qualifying but struggled in the race in Bahrain. Alonso admitted that Aston Martin’s long-run pace has been a challenge, and they have been working on adjustments to improve it. He hopes for a stronger race in Saudi Arabia compared to Bahrain.
Alonso is optimistic that adjustments to the team’s setup will enhance their performance, but he believes that the qualifying conditions once again concealed their weaknesses. When asked about his confidence in the changes aimed at improving their race pace, Alonso responded positively. He acknowledged that the new tires sometimes mask the true performance of the cars and that the peak grip of the tire provides an extra advantage. He emphasized the importance of tire preparation and out laps, stating that these factors can be more crucial than the car’s performance. However, in the race, there is no hiding, and teams gradually return to their natural positions. Alonso acknowledged that there is still work to be done to catch up with the top four teams but expressed hope of starting ahead of them and defending their position.
Aston Martin had shown consistency in the first and second sectors of the track but struggled in the flat-out third sector, where strong straight-line speed was crucial. Alonso seemed to have found a solution to this issue when he took advantage of Lewis Hamilton’s completed lap to gain a tow on the start-finish straight before his final Q3 run. However, Alonso clarified that this was merely a coincidence. He explained that he had to make a decision between negotiating the last corner and potentially obstructing Hamilton or letting him go. He chose to take the tow, but his tires were not properly warmed up for Turn 1 and Turn 2, resulting in a loss of half a tenth of a second. Although he gained one-tenth of a second with the tow, the lack of tire readiness in the first two turns hindered his overall performance during the out lap.