Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso’s first seasonal approach to sprint races didn’t have the positive outcome expected before the race. The Spanish driver suffered from DRS issues during both Qualifying sessions, which forced him to begin the Sprint Race in P8.
However, during the actual 100 km race, the DRS returned to work, allowing the two times world champion to improve his starting position and end the Sprint Race in P6, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, for a double points finish with his teammate Lance Stroll in P8.
Alonso confirmed that the trouble he had encountered in the previous sessions appeared to be solved in the afternoon.
“It did work, I think in the race pressed it two times and it did open, so I hope that everything is fixed. A third time I wasn’t looking in the mirrors, I’m not sure but I’m sure that the team is analysing all the data available and if we have some tweaks to do; we have another chance before the race.”
In spite of the system appearing to be returned to his normal functioning in the Sprint, the Spanish driver was hesitant to declare the issue completely solved ahead of the full length race today.
“I think so, we cannot be a hundred percent sure, we have been through these problems every single session so I don’t think that the system is still valid proof for tomorrow’s race but it’s the way it is.”
Moreover, in his opinion, the fact that the DRS might not be working won’t be as decisive as it might appear at a first glance: “Even with DRS, it seems like it’s quite difficult to overtake when you are following cars so maybe it’s not the key factor for tomorrow even if it doesn’t work.”
In the first three races of 2022 Aston Martin didn’t score any point, whereas in the inaugural rounds of the current season Alonso was always on the podium.
But the good form shown so far has left the two-time World Champion longing for more and considering the double points finish in the Sprint event “not good enough”.
“I think that the car has been in general a little bit worse than in the other races, we are underperforming a little bit. this morning being the best example: P8 and P9 is not good enough, so we were a little bit concerned heading into the race, but for the race I have to say that I am a little bit more optimistic now after the Sprint race, the car will be fast tomorrow.”
Alonso is now looking forward to the race later today, where he will be starting considerably ahead of one of his main rivals in the championship standings, with Mercedes’ George Russell in P11:
“I was fast in the sprint race, I was at the pace of the Ferrari and the Mercedes, tomorrow I start P6 instead of P8 so we still have a chance to finish in top 5, which will be ideal if we can finish P6 on Saturday, top 5 on Sunday on a difficult weekend.
“It was a little damage limitation to be honest, we are not super fast but our main competitors in the Constructors’, which is Mercedes at the moment, they finished only a few points in front of us and George is starting 11th so we have an opportunity to outscore them,” he concluded.
