What went wrong for Aston Martin in Miami and why Fernando Alonso was only “lucky” to score any Formula 1 points at the Grand Prix
Aston Martin took just two points from the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, 13 fewer than last year, when Fernando Alonso finished third behind the two Red Bulls. And it’s the fewest ever in the 2024 Formula 1 season, so what was going on at Aston Martin?
Alonso summarizes: “We were not very fast this weekend and we were lucky [in the Grand Prix]. That’s why we got two points, and of course we’ll take them with us.”
This means that Aston Martin has extended its points haul in the current season, “but in terms of pure performance, it was an average weekend,” says Alonso.
“I didn’t feel very good myself. I didn’t manage a good lap in either sprint qualifying or qualifying, and then there was the sprint start with a contact. That leaves me with a bitter aftertaste. “
How Alonso drove from P15 into the points
The only bright spot was the race on Sunday. Thanks to “luck with the safety car”, said Alonso, Aston Martin at least took something from Miami. “That really helped our race.”
Coming from 15th on the grid, it looked like being a difficult afternoon for Alonso. He and his team therefore planned a long first stint on hard tires. However, the safety car phase in the middle of the race came at just the right time.
“We actually wanted to stay out a little longer,” says Alonso. “But when the safety car came out, we seized the opportunity. We gained a few positions.” From P13, we moved up to P11 and Alonso promptly sniffed the points.
“The safety car had compressed the field. We were on medium, the others on hard. That gave us a slight advantage,” said Alonso. His conclusion: “All in all, we were lucky with the strategy and the safety car. “
Team boss: Alonso had to come in
Team boss Mike Krack, however, even speaks of luck in misfortune, because it was “high time” for Alonso to make a pit stop: “He had brake plates and massive vibrations after a duel with Gasly right at the start of the race. The situation was getting pretty bad. We were actually worried that something might break on the car. That’s why we were hoping for a safety car phase.” And that’s what happened
However, the positive turnaround for Aston Martin with P9 for Alonso at the end of the race cannot hide the deficits of the AMR24, says Alonso. “We need to improve our pace in particular.”
Krack agrees: “We had problems over one lap. This time we were at the wrong end of the one or two tenths you need. And then you’re at the back and have to try everything. “
What will be different at Aston Martin from Imola onwards
What is particularly alarming for Aston Martin is that they were “even further back” than usual in Miami and had to contend with teams such as Alpine and Racing Bulls in the broad Formula 1 midfield, says Alonso.
“So we need a better weekend in Imola and have to take a step forward there. But: Everyone will make progress in Imola. We’ll certainly get some improvements. Hopefully they will bring us close to Mercedes again.” According to F1 Tempo, Aston Martin lacked an average of 0.5 to 0.7 seconds per lap on the Silver Arrows in a direct comparison
Alonso is happy with Alpine
For the first time in 2024, Alpine was not only close to the points but just inside them in P10 with Esteban Ocon. Alonso overtook him after a lap-long battle and described the duel afterwards as “good”. “Esteban gave me another hot dance, as always. He’s a racer, but it’s always respectful. I enjoyed it this time.”
“In the end, the first point for Alpine. I’m also happy for the team,” says Alonso, who raced for Alpine from 2021 to 2022 and then left the Franco-British racing team in favor of Aston Martin.
He concludes with another congratulations, this time to race winner Lando Norris from McLaren: “The first win after so many podium finishes. I’m delighted for him. I hope he always remembers this day, the first of many victories. “
