Fernando Alonso makes concerning admission, says controversial race-format Aston Martin’s progress at Austrian GP
The sprint weekend format could potentially hinder Aston Martin around the Red Bull Ring.
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Fernando Alonso (Credits: The Mirror)
Aston Martin star driver Fernando Alonso believes the sprint weekend format at the Austrian Grand Prix might pose challenges for Aston Martin as they aim to extract greater performance from their recent upgrade. During the Canadian GP, Aston Martin introduced new components, resulting in Alonso qualifying on the front row and securing a P2 finish behind Max Verstappen. The margin between them was the smallest of the season thus far, at less than 10 seconds.
Looking ahead to the upcoming race in Austria, while speaking to RacingNews365, Alonso has said that the track layout could be more favorable for his car compared to Montreal. However, the limited practice time during the sprint weekend format poses a disadvantage as the team seeks to gather more data from their component upgrades for further improvements.
Fernando Alonso said, “I think the Sprint weekend will not be ideal for us. We still [need] more time in Free Practice with our new upgraded car. We still need to understand and optimise the package a little bit and in Austria, obviously with the Sprint, we will have only FP1 to do that.”
He added, “But it is what it is. The circuit will be good and maybe better for the package as well, this one with a strange layout, let’s say. Maybe good for Ferrari, historically here as well with a long straight and short corners, so maybe in Austria we have a little bit more pace.” Time will tell whether the Spaniard and his team can see themselves closer to the dominant Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso is determined to win a race in 2023
The ever-successful Fernando Alonso has lauded his team, stating that the Aston Martin project has given him confidence, unlike any other team he has participated in in his Formula 1 career. Despite his previous experiences with Renault, Ferrari, and McLaren, the two-time world champion feels a unique inspiration within the Aston Martin team.
According to Alonso, the Canada GP marked Aston Martin’s most competitive outing of the year, with the team consistently nearly matching the pace of Red Bull throughout the event. He has also stated his intention to win Grand Prix in 2023 despite Red Bull dominating the proceedings.
He said, ” I cannot think of another time in my career that I was this confident with a team and with a project itself because it’s a more medium-, long-term project. I don’t know whether I will be driving. I always have in my mind ‘yes’ because as long as I feel fast and I still enjoy, why would I stop? At the moment I’m enjoying — I think there is more to come.”
Fernando Alonso is breathing down the neck of Sergio Perez for P2 in the drivers’ standings and is only 9 points behind. While Verstappen may be out of reach, the 41-year-old insists on taking his 33rd career victory and earning P2 in the World Drivers’ Championship.
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