Fernando Alonso is already in Melbourne with the rest of the drivers for the start of the first Formula 1 Grand Prix of the season in Australia. A season that, as the Spaniard said at a press conference, begins with the great unknown of knowing what position each car will start from. “I think it is practically the same, there shouldn’t be any big changes, so yes, we’ll see where we are”.
This is the last year of the current regulations, the teams have squeezed every last drop out of their cars and it is difficult to see any major changes or improvements in the teams. Any attempt at improvement could lead to problems with handling and stability, and it is better not to take too many risks and end up taking a step backwards.
“The grid is very tight now and it is very difficult to increase the performance of the car without making driving almost impossible, because there is a fine line between increasing performance without affecting driving. I think we took a step forward, but it seems that everyone did the same thing this winter, the situation is going to be very tight but I’m not too worried. It’s time we offered something more at the weekends. We have the right people, the talent and the confidence, so we’ll see at the end of the year.”
Uncertainty throughout F1
The Asturian driver believes that Aston Martin’s doubts are the same doubts that all the teams have, and that these will be completely resolved with Saturday’s qualifying.
“We have to stay calm and be pragmatic in each session, trying to learn about the car. In the qualifying session, with the same time and the same conditions for everyone, we’ll see where we are. I think the first part of the year is going to be interesting in terms of getting the most out of the package and learning the strengths and weaknesses of the car, especially on Sundays, when we compare it with other cars.”
On the other hand, the conclusions that could be drawn in Bahrain are not going to be of much use at this circuit. “The pre-season has been very short for everyone, so I think it’s a kind of continuation of the pre-season tests for us: FP1, FP2, FP3, where we will do a lot of testing to move forward, I think for everyone”.
“I think in testing there are always different programs for everyone, so we’re all curious to see where we are, but considering that it’s a completely different circuit to Bahrain, it has very smooth asphalt, with many fast corners and long straights, so it could be better or worse for different cars and packages. So you have to be pragmatic, take it race by race and keep learning about the car.”
Step forward the AMR25
Fernando Alonso insists that Aston Martin has taken a step forward this season with the AMR25, but there is still room for improvement and they are far from getting 200% out of the car’s potential.
“I think the car is better, but it’s still not in an ideal place, 100%. It depends, especially in Bahrain, because every day is a new adventure, depending on the wind and the temperature. So I think we found three different cars in the three days of testing and tomorrow will be the fourth different car when we go out on track, because, as I said, the layout of the car is completely new.”
Despite the uncertainty due to the different conditions, “I think so, we have taken a step forward. The thing is that in 2024 we finished very close together in the middle of the grid, and it seems that even in that middle group we were quite close to the leading teams. We are confident of scoring points this weekend”