Fernando Alonso has completed his first day of F1 testing with Aston Martin and his performance is promising. The Asturian driver was in charge of the morning session, taking over from Stroll in the afternoon.
First set-up in F1
Fernando Alonso was the least laps driven of the ten drivers who took to the track, ten laps less than the next driver. During his participation in the practice sessions, the times reflected an improvement over last year’s tests, and he was leading the classification for much of the session.
However, as the track improved, Fernando Alonso lapped less than the other drivers, so it is difficult to assess what his times would have been if he had completed the same number of laps or if he had driven in better track conditions.
Fernando Alonso improves by almost two seconds
We are entering the last season with the current regulations, so the times should not be very different from last year’s. If we look at the times in 2024 on the first day of testing, and we look at the times now, there is almost a two-second difference. On the first day of testing last season, Alonso lapped in 1:33:385. In this first session, the Spaniard’s time was 1:31:854. If anything stands out about the new Aston Martin, it is its cornering, where the team seems to have found the balance that it was unable to find last season.
In the second part of the practice sessions, Alonso was seen testing car settings, changing the engine map, and checking the aerodynamics of the car, without looking for times. He is the only driver who has not managed to cover 300 km.
Williams surprises in the first runs
Carlos Sainz has not yet sat behind the wheel of his new car. He will do so in the afternoon session. But Alex Albon has given reason for hope. The British driver set a time of 1:31.560 in the Williams, the third best time of the session. The Williams’ position is surprising, and it remains to be seen what times Carlos Sainz can set at the wheel of his new car.
Mercedes in front and a discreet debut for Hamilton
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was in charge of driving the Mercedes in the first session. The young driver could not have had a better debut, placing Toto Wolff’s team at the top of the timesheets with a 1:31:425.
The most successful driver in F1 history had a discreet performance, setting the fifth fastest time of the session. Ferrari is one of the favorites to win the title this season, and we will see how they evolve during these days of testing.
First contact
Yes, we know, they are just tests, the first ones, but it is a first contact to see what we can expect for the current season. Two seasons ago, when Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin surprised the entire grid, it stood out in the first tests. Last season, these first tests were a disaster for Lawrence Stroll’s team.
This first contact is not decisive in terms of what we might see in two weeks’ time in Australia, but Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin have reason to be optimistic. There are still five practice sessions to go, where we will be able to see more clearly where each team stands. What is clear is that the new F1 season is already here, and Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz will have to get the most out of their cars to put them as high up the grid as possible.