Fernando Alonso explains why Aston Martin is back in a better position at the Formula 1 home race at Silverstone and why he is not satisfied with P10
Aston Martin is back. After recent poor performances in Spain and Austria, the Aston Martin Formula 1 team found its form again at its home race in Silverstone of all places. With Lance Stroll (8th) and Fernando Alonso (10th), both drivers made it into Q3 and can now hope to score points in Sunday’s race. But where did the pace suddenly come from?
“I think we understood some of the problems we had in Barcelona and Austria,” says Fernando Alonso. “We were more optimistic for this race to fix some of them and I think we have confirmed that. The car returned to a more natural position as the fifth or sixth fastest team, fighting for the places in Q3 and hopefully the final points with both cars.”
However, the day did not go perfectly for the Spaniard. On the one hand, the 42-year-old only had one fresh soft tire left for Q3, but on the other, Aston Martin sent its driver out on track too late for the final attempt, meaning that only Alonso’s time on the used tires at the start of the session could be counted in the classification
Alonso: “Great battle on the outlap with Carlos and Oscar “
“I’m a bit disappointed that we only had one new set of tires for Q3 and didn’t make the lap,” says Alonso. “It was a big battle on the outlap between Carlos [Sainz], Oscar [Piastri] and myself. They both started together so their laps were not good and I started the last corner in first gear so I was half a second behind at turn 3.”
“So we came into the pits. Third in Q2 and with that lap time we probably would have been P7, P6, P8 – whatever – in Q3. It hurts a bit, but there’s nothing we can do now. “
Do the cold temperatures suit Aston Martin?
The fact that Aston Martin is back in the game in the cold temperatures at Silverstone is not entirely surprising. In Canada, when the conditions were similarly chilly, Aston Martin put in a strong performance over the entire weekend. The AMR24 is normally regarded as a tire eater, which is why you can get the tires up to temperature quickly in the cold.
However, Alonso also sees other reasons for the better form: “I think we simply have more grip. It’s more or less the same car and we drive the same way, but it’s just a bit faster. “
In addition to the new updates for Silverstone, Aston Martin now seems to be optimizing the old package more and more. According to Alonso, it is “a combination” of both things, which could already be seen in the practice sessions: “We tested the new front wing and other things yesterday and it was as expected, a step forward. I think in Austria and Barcelona we took two or three steps back and here we improved the car a little bit. “
Q1 incident: Alonso escapes penalty from the stewards
Alonso was also the subject of an investigation by the stewards after qualifying for an offense in the first qualifying segment when mechanics were working on Alonso’s car in Fast Lane. However, the stewards did not impose a penalty.
The verdict reads: “The stewards listened to the team representative and viewed the video footage and the video footage in the car. Before the restart of Q1, car 14 drove out of its garage and its left front wheel was in the Fast Lane.”
“Article 34.4 states that, with the exception of some specific exemptions which do not apply in this case, work may only be carried out on a car in the inside lane. The video evidence clearly shows team members pushing a jack under the rear of car 14 and changing its position. This is considered work on the vehicle.”
“However, it was clear from the video evidence that it is common practice for team members to move cars when they are in the red flag overtaking lane for various reasons and the regulations are silent on this issue. In this particular case, the team’s action did not delay the session, hinder another car or provide a sporting advantage. Therefore, the stewards have decided not to impose a penalty. “
