MIAMI, Florida – The 2023 Method 1 season started with a shock staff preventing on the entrance of the grid.
Aston Martin.
With veteran driver Fernando Alonso becoming a member of the staff to drive alongside Lance Stroll, the staff roared out of the gates. Each drivers completed within the factors within the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix – Stroll doing so whereas recovering from a painful wrist damage – and with Alonso scoring a podium end in six of the primary eight races, it appeared that Aston Martin is likely to be the most important story of the season.
Nevertheless, the staff pale down the stretch, settling for a fifth-place end within the Constructors’ Championship.
A fifth-place end this yr appears effectively off within the distance.
The staff arrived in Miami sitting seventh within the standings with ten factors, placing them ten factors behind sixth-place Haas. Whereas there’s hope for the long run, the current poses a moderately troublesome problem.
“Yeah, I imply we aren’t as aggressive as we wish to be,” mentioned Fernando Alonso to the media, together with SB Nation, Thursday in Miami. “There are a few elements that made the automobile a little bit bit troublesome in the intervening time by way of tempo, and possibly not as quick as a few of
the midfield. They raised the extent and they’re nearer to the highest 4, and we didn’t make that step.
“So yeah, nonetheless a protracted championship, so we have to react.”
As famous there his hope on the horizon, with the arrival of legendary designer Adrian Newey who joined the staff in March. Alonso not too long ago hung out with Newey on the staff’s model new facility in Silverstone, however any potential fixes could also be off sooner or later.
“I feel this yr is only a continuation of among the issues that we discovered within the final two seasons, and we weren’t capable of overcome among the obstacles that we discovered,” continued Alonso. “I used to be within the manufacturing unit and had lunch with Adrian, a few talks, however you realize nothing actually an excessive amount of into this yr.
“It was extra a common speak concerning the staff normally and the way he felt in these first couple of weeks at Aston and among the adjustments that will occur within the staff for a greater future below his steering and his expertise.
“Yeah, it’s all the time thrilling, you realize, to speak to him and to work with him lastly.”
Nonetheless, with Newey becoming a member of this season, and new rules coming into impact subsequent yr, Alonso believes that the legendary engineer’s focus will should be on the following era of automobiles.
“Designing automobiles as he has, you realize, how a lot he requires and the way a lot time he must dedicate, he would most likely choose even becoming a member of the staff one yr in the past and begin on [the 2026 car],” continued Alonso. “So even for [the] ‘26 venture I’m positive that he thinks it’s late, so I perceive fully that he must focus solely on subsequent yr’s automobile.
“And this yr he didn’t contact the automobile. He didn’t design the automobile, so I don’t assume it’s as much as him to repair the automobile.”
As for whether or not Aston Martin might steal some factors this weekend, with the Miami Grand Prix factoring as one of many F1 Dash race weekends which might create extra alternatives for the staff, Alonso did his finest to mood expectations.
“The closest instance is China, the place we certified a little bit bit higher than anticipated on Friday, and we went again to our regular place by Saturday. I feel if now we have possibly chosen one other technique or no matter we might possibly rating some factors which I feel on Sunday is much more troublesome,” started Alonso. “So it might occur, however I feel Miami has not been actually a superb observe for us.
“Even in 2023 with a podium right here [Alonso finished third in Miami that season during the team’s tremendous start] we solely got here alive in quali. All of the free practices we have been a little bit bit uncompetitive for our requirements in 2023 at the start of the yr and final yr additionally. Even when we began the season robust, Miami was troublesome.
“So yeah, let’s see if we modify issues this yr, but it surely could possibly be a troublesome weekend for positive.”
Even with these tempered expectations, Alonso appeared looking forward to what’s across the nook.
“We’re [headed] in the best course, however as common in Method One, nothing adjustments from from at some point to the following.
“Every part wants time.”
SB Nation might be on the bottom for the complete Miami Grand Prix, so examine our story stream all week lengthy for full protection!
