Fernando Alonso Explains Why It Was Crucial for Aston Martin to Opt for Unusual Soft Tire Strategy

Fernando Alonso had a bitter-sweet race at the 2024 Chinese GP. The Aston Martin driver started the race from third on the grid. In pure Fernando Alonso fashion, the 42-year-old made a great start and jumped Red Bull’s Sergio Perez to claim P2. He ran in second for the following laps before relinquishing the position back to Perez and eventually losing out to Lando Norris as well.

In the middle of the race, Aston Martin took the bizarre option of putting a set of soft tires during the first safety car on the AMR24 of Alonso. This meant he had to do a three-stop race whilst the others were on a two-stop strategy. In the aftermath, though, Alonso explained why it was a necessary call that their pit wall made.

Alonso was quoted on YouTube as explaining, “We only had one hard tire. In the middle of the hard stint, the Safety Car came. So, let’s say our good race tire was gone in a way after that Safety Car. So, yeah, we did not have any more options.”

Alonso’s stint on the red-walled soft tires meant that the #14 driver had to make a pit stop on lap 43 of the race. But, on a fresh set of mediums, the two-time world champion minimized the loss of race time. Putting on a show of overtakes, the Spaniard climbed through the field to grab a solid haul of points with a seventh-place finish.

The 42-year-old showed no signs of slowing down after re-signing with Aston Martin for 2025 and beyond recently. His Chinese GP performance was another statement of intent as many regarded the #14 driver’s race as one of the best drives of the Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso still feels Aston Martin have a long way to go before catching Red Bull

During the entirety of the Chinese GP weekend, Fernando Alonso drove at the sharp end of the field. Despite this, the Spanish racing ace considers the Aston Martin car for this year to be at best the fifth-fastest car on the grid.

If his insights about the performance of the AMR24 are indeed accurate, then, he’s been doing a stellar job behind its wheel. Alonso has been matching the pace of both, the Ferraris and McLarens. On the flip side, his teammate, Lance Stroll has struggled to break through into the top 5 on multiple occasions this season.

Fernando Alonso has given his verdict of his #ChineseGP via his Instagram!

pic.twitter.com/nzHuPC9j0e

— Autosport (@autosport) April 21, 2024

Alonso has dedicated himself to Aston Martin for the long term. With Honda’s imminent arrival in 2026, Alonso has been keen to maximize the results and learnings for the team on track to ensure the best possible foundation for the 2026 regulations. The Chinese GP was yet another step in that direction for the 42-year-old.