According to Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin has made progress with their car, although not to the extent achieved by other teams.
Fernando Alonso believes Aston Martin’s recent upgrades have taken the team a step forward, but not to the same extent as their rivals.
Despite Aston Martin’s extensive upgrade package for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, the AMR24 faced performance challenges throughout the entire weekend.
Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin dropped in performance relative to others
Additional reporting by Sam Cooper.
Neither Aston Martin driver made it through into Q3 at Imola, with Fernando Alonso’s weekend compromised due to an uncharacteristic error in final practice that resulted in his mechanics scrambling to repair his car for qualifying.
Alonso started the race in 19th place and it ended up being more of a test session for him. He completed the laps but unfortunately had his worst classified finish in his 23-year career in a Grand Prix. On the other hand, Lance Stroll achieved a ninth-place finish and earned two important points for the team.
However, despite the upgrades on the AMR24 not showing promising results on paper, the team has not reversed their decision. Alonso clarified that these new components have indeed improved the car, but other teams have made even greater progress.
“In comparison to the others, I believe our performance has declined,” he informed the media, including PlanetF1.com, during the Monaco event.
I believe we improved the performance of our car, but it appears that the others made a slightly larger leap. Consequently, we slipped down a few positions.
In my situation, I believe I didn’t perform flawlessly in those two races. My driving skills fell short in both Miami and Imola.
Sometimes on a weekend when I know our goals won’t be enough to satisfy us or myself, it is the search for answers that truly motivates me. It’s not just about fighting for a top five or top seven position, but rather about seeking understanding and improvement.
“Occasionally, you transition into a setup or test weekend in order to address the car’s issues and prioritize fixing them, even if it means sacrificing a weekend to secure a P9 finish. This approach allows for a fresh start at the next event.”
“I believe this is what occurred in Imola to some extent, and it can be beneficial as it possibly expedites the resolution of the issues.”
Alternatively, during that weekend, you might accumulate zero points or slightly decrease your competitiveness compared to usual. Therefore, it is crucial to merge regular weekends, where you optimize your performance and attain available points, even if it means finishing in 9th place.
“On certain weekends, we may have to consider whether it’s acceptable to skip P9 today in order to save time and focus on repairing the car.”
During his media session on Thursday at Monaco, Stroll attempted to evaluate the performance of the AMR24. He expressed that the car does not handle as smoothly as the previous year’s model.
“He mentioned that it’s the typical stuff, like entry oversteer and mid-corner understeer.”
“Kerb riding has been more challenging compared to last year.”
“I’m not sure if ‘easier to fall out of the window’ is the exact way I would phrase it, but the balance is definitely more challenging compared to the car we had last year.”
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Alonso concurred with Stroll’s evaluation, stating that he shared similar sentiments and had comparable remarks to share with his teammate.
He mentioned that there are a few setup tools and directions that could enhance the situation. He added that they have also been experimenting with them in Imola, for instance, on his car last Sunday.
However, in essence, I believe that the car’s balance is something we still need to focus on. While we have enhanced downforce through our recent upgrades, we are unable to fully utilize this advantage in terms of lap time due to potential imperfections in the cornering balance.
However, we acknowledge the issues at hand and have a few ideas in mind to address them during the car’s future development and upgrades.
We are not oblivious in the dark; we acknowledge the situation. However, it is also a characteristic of these cars that they become more sensitive and challenging to handle as downforce is increased.
“We must address and resolve this matter.”
When asked if he had tried out the car upgrades on the simulator before Imola, Alonso confirmed that he had. However, he pointed out that the simulator might not accurately reflect the actual effects on the track.
He mentioned that the simulator offers more leniency for many aspects that the track does not provide.
“When you input the theoretical numbers into the simulator, you experience a significant increase in speed with minimal issues such as balance and other related factors.”
“The simulator serves as an excellent tool for both engineers and drivers to enhance their skills, particularly in learning tracks and other related aspects.”
“We still need to put in more effort on Fridays, as the simulator, although beneficial, cannot completely replicate the actual car in terms of the final setup or on-track performance.”
After the race, Mike Krack explained that Alonso and Stroll had utilized slightly varied car configurations at Imola. The team boss admitted that it is challenging for the Silverstone-based squad to keep up with the continuous development efforts of Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren, all of whom have introduced updates in the last two races.
He stated that although we are dissatisfied with earning only two points, it is important to remember that others are also implementing improvements, making the game a matter of comparison.
“You must make a genuine effort to stay updated and comprehend the task at hand.”
The challenge is not to be underestimated; I believe almost every team, except for one, had a comprehensive list of upgrades at Imola. This demonstrates the high level of competitiveness across the entire field.
It requires continuous effort, perseverance, and a deep comprehension to consistently push forward and continually bring new ideas or content.
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