Fernando Alonso is already preparing in China for the second F1 race of the year, a circuit that is very favourable to the performance of the Aston Martin, where he hopes to “score the first points”. He points to the performance of the car, in Australia “we had more pace than the cars in front”. He admits that he has not yet had any contact with Newey, and believes that, despite his age, “I am as fast or faster than the first time I was here in 2004”.
Optimism for the Chinese F1 GP
Fernando Alonso appeared in the run-up to the Chinese Formula 1 GP, where he believes that Aston Martin has a good chance of a good race after what we saw in Australia, although it was not a week ago and now is not the time to draw any clear conclusions. “We have to wait for several races, the circuits in China, Japan and Bahrain are very different”.
As for the race, “Last year we were a bit stronger, especially in qualifying. We were third in the dry and in the wet on one lap and it’s difficult to repeat that. Although we will try to score my first points of the year. It’s one of the best circuits of the year for us”.
Role after Stroll’s first race
In the first grand prix of the year, Stroll was the only driver to finish in the points, scoring 8 points, something that does not change the team’s strategy in each race. “The race was difficult but the team scored eight points thanks to a good race by Lance, so it went well”, but for China, “we have already spoken and the instruction is that I am always in front”.
Aston Martin’s performance and the arrival of Newey
Fernando Alonso has assessed the performance of the Aston Martin after the first race, and acknowledges doubts in the team about the sudden changes to the AMR25 in the different sessions without having made changes to the car.
“It’s difficult to know exactly, because in qualifying we were more or less competitive until the problem in Q2, but in the race it’s difficult to judge. We followed the car in front and waited for it to dry out and the moment to attack and it was like a game. We have to wait for more races to go by and see on different circuits, like this one and Suzuka, and then we’ll know better.”
The arrival of Adrian Newey has been one of the F1 news stories of the year. The two-time world champion admits that he has not yet made contact with him, but he will arrive and he knows his motivation and involvement for next year, but also for this one. “We haven’t gone into details, we’ve been very busy since the tests in Bahrain, then Australia and China. We’ll have more time when he gets back to the factory. All I know is that he is very motivated, looking at 2026 but also at what we do at the weekend. I know how he has been thinking over the last few years, we have been talking for a long time. We had lunch last year at the Monaco Grand Prix, I know what he is capable of and I am looking forward to working with him”.
Fernando Alonso feels competitive
The first retirement of the year has provoked the first criticisms regarding the driver’s age and doubts about whether he can continue at the wheel of an F1 car. “Do I feel old or privileged? Both. It is a privilege to continue racing and doing what I love, which is driving cars. I have experienced many different years in this sport, I feel competitive, motivated and fresh to travel the world and compete for this car. And above all, I feel competitive. If one day I don’t feel fast, I see that I lack rhythm, I will be the first one who doesn’t enjoy it because I am very competitive”. ‘I think I am as fast or faster than the first time I was here in 2004 and that’s how I feel’.