Aston Martin came into the 2024 season with hopes of replicating 2023’s beginning. Unfortunately, the year started on the backfoot with the Silverstone-based outfit being the 5th best team. With each passing race, the team keeps getting further away from the top four. Now, Fernando Alonso slams the team and explains how they can get back towards the front.
“It’s going to be another tough weekend, also in Silverstone, arguably”, explained Alonso in the interviews after the Spanish GP. However, he devised a strategy for Aston Martin to focus on. He added, “We cannot get too frustrated. It’s time to work harder, to talk less, to deliver more. It’s what we want to do.”
Signing off the #SpanishGP.
Fernando finishes his home race P12 followed by Lance in P14. pic.twitter.com/c06zDZratc
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) June 23, 2024
Aston Martin was Red Bull’s closest competitor at the start of 2023 but fell off midway through the season as upgrades on the AMR23 didn’t seem to work. Alonso consistently featured on the podium in the first few races, but finishing in the points started becoming increasingly difficult as the season passed on.
Unfortunately, Aston Martin started 2024 right where they left off. They have been struggling tremendously till now and although the Canadian GP had a positive result with big points, it was mainly due to the track layout suiting the AMR24. The Spanish GP revealed all of Aston Martin’s weaknesses, as they finished P12 and P14. Known for having a mixture of everything, the Circuit de Catalunya is regarded as the litmus test for cars.
Finishing outside the points at his home race seemingly triggered Alonso, which is why he vented his frustration in public. He went as far as saying that his team didn’t deserve any points because they didn’t have pace throughout the weekend.
Aston Martin puts Fernando Alonso’s strategy on hold
The breaks between race weekends provide the teams the time to test and develop their parts. Unfortunately, F1 will have four Grand Prix events in the next five weeks giving teams like Aston Martin little to no time to think about upgrades. It’ll all be about making sure that everything arrives for the race in time. These back-to-back races are more about optimization and less about bringing performance.
This is the very reason why many teams brought major upgrades at the Spanish GP before the hectic part of the season began. With Aston Martin’s upgrades not working, the team will have to do the best job with whatever package they have.
“You have no time. That’s the main problem at the moment. So we have to hang on like this, get the best out of the car each weekend, and bring these parts as quick as possible” said Team Principal Mike Krack according to Motorsport.
Although Alonso asked the team to keep their heads down and put in the work, he is unlikely to see any major upgrades soon. However, there’s a slight chance for some upgrades at the British GP as their factory in Silverstone is just down the road from the Circuit.
