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 perhaps the largest 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 properly 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 may be hope for the long run, the current poses a reasonably troublesome problem.
“Yeah, I imply we’re not as aggressive as we wish to be,” mentioned Fernando Alonso to the media, together with SB NationThursday in Miami. “There are a few components that made the automotive slightly bit troublesome in the meanwhile when it comes to 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 an extended 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 frolicked 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 a number of the issues that we discovered within the final two seasons, and we weren’t in a position to overcome a number of 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 recognize nothing actually an excessive amount of into this yr.
“It was extra a normal discuss in regards to the staff basically and the way he felt in these first couple of weeks at Aston and a number of 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 recognize, 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 have to be on the subsequent era of automobiles.
“Designing automobiles as he has, you recognize, how a lot he requires and the way a lot time he must dedicate, he would in all probability choose even becoming a member of the staff one yr in the past and begin on (the 2026 automotive),” continued Alonso. “So even for (the) ‘26 undertaking I’m certain that he thinks it’s late, so I perceive utterly that he must focus solely on subsequent yr’s automotive.
“And this yr he didn’t contact the automotive. He didn’t design the automotive, so I don’t suppose it’s as much as him to repair the automotive.”
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 slightly 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 monitor for us.
“Even in 2023 with a podium right here (Alonso completed third in Miami that season in the course of the staff’s great begin) we solely got here alive in quali. All of the free practices we had been slightly bit uncompetitive for our requirements in 2023 at the start of the yr and final yr additionally. Even when we began the season sturdy, Miami was troublesome.
“So yeah, let’s see if we alter issues this yr, however it could possibly be a tricky weekend for certain.”
Even with these tempered expectations, Alonso appeared eager for what’s across the nook.
“We’re (headed) in the best course, however as ordinary in Method One, nothing adjustments from from in the future to the subsequent.
“Every part wants time.”
SB Nation will probably be on the bottom for the complete Miami Grand Prix, so test our story stream all week lengthy for full protection!
