FORMULA ONE
Alonso gets to the point: “A podium here does not seem realistic”
Aston Martin “is better than last year, but other teams have taken a big step,” says Fernando. On Red Bull: “19 drivers know that they will not be champions.”
The AMR24 is a step up from the AMR23, but in F1, two plus two doesn’t always equal four. The improvement is relative, and if one improves half a second and the rest find a full second, the net loss will be half a second. In the Aston Martin garage, they know that their car has progressed, corrects some deficiencies such as the lack of top speed, and must improve competitiveness in high-speed corners. But if the comparison is with Bahrain 2023, one of Aston’s stellar weekends last year, it is evident that the joy and euphoria of last year are not perceived. Feelings dictate that this car is in that great group behind Red Bull and Ferrari, perhaps also McLaren, in which there will be few differences against strong rivals such as Mercedes or Visa (former Alpha Tauri).
Alonso appeared before getting into the car on Friday afternoon (where he is not expected to complete a qualifying but a race simulation). He commented on AMR24: “We tried to combat some of the problems we had last year. Top speed, performance in high-speed curves. It’s a step up from last year’s car, but everyone has taken a big step forward in the winter. Next week, we will see where we are. A podium in Bahrain? I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem realistic right now.”
“The car is better than last year, and it’s a fact”
“It would be nice if the predictions could be made with knowledge, but we have no idea because the test time and what we know about the other cars is insufficient. We have to be positive because the car is better than last year, it is a fact, but I think the others have taken a big step in winter, especially in the middle zone, there is a very high level,” says the Spaniard, who was fourth in the 2023 F1 championship and made eight podiums, last season.
He is aware of Red Bull’s superiority: “I don’t have a crystal ball to know what others are doing. Max is the world champion and Red Bull dominates the sport, the concept they have presented this year is a surprise. We can only see what they do. I think 19 drivers in the paddock think they will not win the World Championship. Difficult? It happens 99% of the time in a driver’s career.” “The sensations are good, the car feels better than last year, and all the data confirms that we have more grip and fewer problems than last year. But we are realistic, we have our feet on the ground, everyone has taken a step forward in winter,” closes the Asturian.