There is great relief at Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin after third place in Brazil – why the team believes it has turned the corner
Third place ended a long dry spell for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin at the Brazilian Grand Prix. For the first time since Zandvoort at the end of August, the Spaniard and his team were back on the podium – and that after coming away empty-handed in Austin and Mexico
“I think we struggled for a few months,” says Alonso, looking back. “The last two races in particular were painful. We had to experiment with some things on the car to really understand which direction we were going in, and we need to do the same for next year’s car.”
“So those races were painful, especially Mexico. We were very slow. But it was nice to see that everyone in the team was very focused and determined to go deep into analysis and come back stronger here at Interlagos.”
He was “a little worried” about the final part of the championship, Alonso admits. “But now I can’t wait to go to Vegas. So it’s a completely different energy when you have a powerful car,” he emphasizes.
Krack praises team efforts during form crisis
The fact that they made it back onto the podium after a series of setbacks shows “what a strong team we are,” says Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack.
“We stuck together in difficult times. After Zandvoort, we had a few races that didn’t go so well. We had the tripleheader, which is brutal in terms of the workload, the absences, the time zones, the heat, a lot of work with not so many results,” recaps the 51-year-old.
“Then to come back the way we did, I think that’s a huge credit to everyone involved in our team. And it shows that when you’re a strong team, when you trust and believe in each other, you can do amazing things or make amazing turnarounds. “
Just a week ago in Mexico, they were “on the other side”, admits Krack. From the outside, the impression was that Aston had got bogged down with its updates. But even then, the team boss denied that he had lost his way.
And now Krack reiterates: “This is not about the outside world, but about ourselves. We wanted to learn as much as possible for next year. But of course you sacrifice the results a bit. That’s often part of it. “
Aston Martin picks out the best updates
But how did the turnaround in Brazil compare to the last few races? “As I said, we tried a few things for next year. And when we came here we said, ‘Okay, what’s the best package we have from what we’ve driven this year?” explains Krack.
“We ended up going with what we thought was right and that has resulted in a more competitive car. In the end, it’s a mixture, a series of parts that you combine. There are also a lot of interactions between the parts. It’s not just about the underbody.”
“These cars are very complicated,” says Krack, “and you really need to understand the different areas of the car and how they interact with each other. So we need to see how we are going to set up for the next two races. “
When asked whether the upward trend will continue in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, Alonso is confident: “I think so. We will at least be closer to these races than to Mexico, that’s for sure.”
“I think there are a few things that have been understood in the team in terms of the direction we need to go. We had some hopes for this race and they have proved to be right. Why shouldn’t we be competitive in the last two races now?” asks Alonso confidently.
“I don’t know if it would be enough for the podium,” he admits. “We had a good race here.” But some circumstances also played into Aston’s hands.
“Charles retired on the formation lap with a problem. The Mercedes was inferior, Checo started from far back, so there were a few factors that helped us,” explains Alonso. “But we hope that we can get back into the mix and that Vegas will suit us. “
