(Motorsport-Total.com) – Will Singapore be Aston Martin’s next big chance for points? At least Fernando Alonso names this track as the one he is most looking forward to on the remaining calendar, even though this weekend marks the debut of his new home race in Madrid, where potential chaos alone could create opportunities.
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Recently in Monza, however, Aston Martin had to endure a major setback. After the team brought its big update in Hungary and Alonso was able to score points as ninth in Zandvoort, they were back down to earth in Italy.
Aston Martin was even clearly behind the pointless tail-ender Cadillac in Monza and did not see the checkered flag with either car: Lance Stroll lost hydraulic fluid and had to retire his AMR 26, while Fernando Alonso damaged the floor on the curbs.
“I think I went over the kerb at the exit of turn 7, in the second Lesmo. From that moment on, the car just didn’t feel the same as before,” the Spaniard describes. “I probably got damage to the floor. Continuing simply wasn’t worth it – we were slow and the car was damaged. It made no sense anymore.”
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Already in qualifying the day before, Alonso was plagued by a battery problem, forcing Aston Martin to replace all electrical components overnight and start from the pit lane. At least, according to Alonso, there were no further problems after that, but the weekend in Monza was naturally a bitter disappointment.
Now the Spaniard is first looking forward to his home race in Madrid – and to putting Monza behind him. “For the remaining races, we know exactly: there will be weekends where we have to fight, and others that suit us better,” he says. “Next week could be such a chance – I’m looking forward to it.”
Will Madrid be significantly easier than Monza?
According to team principal Mike Krack, simulations suggest that Aston Martin should be better positioned on the Madrid ring than in Monza: “Here we knew from the start it would be tough. For next week, we expect an improvement,” he says.
“Where exactly we will end up is hard to say, as we don’t know the track in reality yet and only have simulation data. But it will be a challenge,” says Krack.
This is evident from the Formula 3 test a few days ago, which is considered a dress rehearsal and featured many incidents and numerous red flags. This naturally makes it dangerous for the drivers but also offers the team opportunities, as the competition also has to get through first.
“From everything I’ve seen so far, it will be very exciting,” says Krack. “I would place the track somewhere between Jeddah and Monaco – the walls are extremely close and there is no room for mistakes. It will be very interesting, we are looking forward to it.”
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In this regard, the Luxembourger is also glad that Aston Martin and Honda have made a lot of progress in drivability in recent weeks. “The car has become more predictable, allowing the drivers to better approach the limit,” he says.
“If the car reacts consistently, the driver can go closer to the limit. If it reacts unpredictably, he has to keep a safety margin. From this perspective, it was a positive step – an encouragement from a weekend whose overall result was otherwise of course not very positive. But we take the good with us.”
Baku and Las Vegas as problem tracks
After Madrid, Formula 1 returns to a track where Aston Martin does not expect much – similar to Las Vegas in November. “Both will definitely not be easy, we know that,” nods Krack. “But that doesn’t mean we give up. We try to get the maximum out of it.”
“On paper, there are better tracks than Baku for us, but traditionally many accidents happen there – so anything can happen at any time,” he says. “And in Las Vegas, it was very cold and wet last year. We certainly are not burying our heads in the sand.”
And what about Singapore, which Fernando Alonso named as probably the best remaining race? “I don’t want to single out individual races,” Krack deflects. “The focus must be the same at all weekends, because the points are the same everywhere – unless it’s a sprint weekend.”
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As luck would have it, Singapore is still the last sprint weekend this season, which according to Krack makes it even more demanding. “You hardly have time there to get into a rhythm and fine-tune everything,” he says.
“On such tracks, grip builds up gradually and the drivers have to approach the limit step by step because you have to drive closer and closer to the walls. If you want too much too early, it crashes.”
“Even if it looks good for us in theory, it will by no means be a walk in the park. We have to stay highly focused, prepare professionally on all fronts, get the maximum out of it, and see what comes out of it,” says the Aston Martin boss.
“In Zandvoort, we also didn’t necessarily expect points but thought we would be well placed. In motorsport, anything can always happen.”
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