Fernando Alonso, the two-time champion, expressed his concerns about Aston Martin’s performance during the F1 summer break, emphasizing the need for a reset. During Saturday’s qualifying session, Alonso finished in ninth place, trailing 0.939 seconds behind the pole-sitter, Max Verstappen. His teammate, Lance Stroll, secured the 12th position.
This qualifying result marked the lowest for Alonso this season, despite his impressive performances in Saudi Arabia, Miami, Monaco, and Canada, where he achieved the second-quickest lap times. He acknowledged that Aston Martin had reached its peak at Silverstone and admitted that it was unlikely for the team to surpass the top eight positions.
The team’s lackluster performance raised concerns about the similarities in track characteristics between Barcelona, the Red Bull Ring, and Silverstone, which had disrupted the form of the AMR23. Alonso stressed the importance of diagnosing these issues during the break.
Reflecting on the qualifying session, Alonso commented, “I’m never satisfied with finishing between P9 and P12. It wasn’t the strongest qualifying for the team so far, but it’s challenging to identify areas for improvement. Maybe we could have gained 0.1s or 0.15s, but climbing higher than P8 seemed impossible.”
He further emphasized the team’s need to analyze their performance on circuits where they struggled, such as Barcelona, Austria, and Silverstone, as these tracks shared similar characteristics.
Meanwhile, McLaren surprised Alonso, who described their performance in the 2022 season as “so-so.” Lando Norris secured second place, with teammate Oscar Piastri following closely behind, surpassing the usual contenders, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin, to become the next-fastest team after Red Bull.
Acknowledging McLaren’s success, Alonso said, “They’ve been very fast. They deserve the position they are in. It’s not a coincidence. They’ve been fast and improving. So, I’m happy for them. Last year, McLaren showed good pace in Austria and Silverstone, and this year they continue to perform well at certain circuits.”
Alonso suggested that Aston Martin needed to navigate through the upcoming Hungary-Belgium double-header before resetting during the summer break. He recognized the need to evaluate their performance and reassess their position once these races were over.
“They’ve been fast,” Alonso commented on McLaren’s performance. “They deserve the position they are in. It’s not like a casualty. They’ve been fast and improving. So, I’m happy for them. Especially after a few races, I think McLaren was very fast last year in Austria and Silverstone. They were so-so in the championship and this year they are also fast in certain circuits. So again, I think we need to go through Budapest and Spa and make a reset after that and see where we are.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about F1 performance
What was Fernando Alonso’s position in the qualifying session?
Fernando Alonso finished in ninth place during the qualifying session.
Which team surprised Alonso in the qualifying session?
McLaren surprised Alonso with their impressive performance in the qualifying session.
What did Alonso suggest Aston Martin do during the summer break?
Alonso suggested that Aston Martin should undergo a reset during the summer break.
Which circuits did Alonso mention as having similar characteristics?
Alonso mentioned Barcelona, the Red Bull Ring, and Silverstone as circuits with similar characteristics.
Why did Alonso think Aston Martin couldn’t climb higher than the top eight?
Alonso believed that Aston Martin had reached its maximum potential at Silverstone, making it impossible to surpass the top eight positions.
Which teammate finished in the 12th position during qualifying?
Lance Stroll, Alonso’s teammate, secured the 12th position in the qualifying session.
4 comments
Aston Martin had a bad qualifying result, but Alonso is right, they need a reset. It’s good to see McLaren doing well, they’ve been fast this year. Can’t wait to see what happens after the break!
Alonso’s words make sense. Aston Martin struggled in qualifying, and they need to figure out what’s going wrong. McLaren really stepped it up, they’re fast now. Exciting times in F1!
Alonso is spot on! Aston Martin needs to reset and figure out why they couldn’t do better in qualifying. McLaren’s performance was surprising, they’ve improved a lot. Looking forward to the rest of the season! #F1
fernando alonso knows what he’s talkin bout. aston martin needs a reset after the bad qualifyin session. mclaren surprized me tho! they were so-so last year but now they’re fast. go alonso!