(Motorsport-Total.com) – Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso has commented on the current challenges of his team Aston Martin, focusing especially on the limited development opportunities until the summer break.
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Alonso explains that in the short term he mainly expects progress in reliability, while performance improvements are unlikely for now. “I think we will make steps in terms of reliability, not in performance. That’s why we have to stick together as a team,” he says.
Little hope for short-term updates
The Spaniard also points out that communication with the media is similar at every race weekend. “Obviously, we have to talk to the media every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That’s part of it and we do our job, we drive fast, but the message sounds repetitive,” says Alonso.
The background is that no major updates are planned until after the summer break. “We have no updates until after the summer, so we don’t need to come to Canada and ask what we can expect there. The same applies to Austria.”
A central point is therefore dealing with frustration within the team. “That is the challenge, managing this level of frustration throughout the team. But I think we are all relaxed and fully focused on having a better second half of the season after the summer,” the Asturian explains hopefully.
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Frustration in the team as a central challenge
When asked if he is at peace with the current situation, Alonso shows understanding. “I am at peace with it because I understand the situation. The team has explained to me that one or two tenths per race do not change our position.
We are in P20 or P19, and the next car is a second ahead,” he explains. Even continuous small improvements would therefore not make a decisive difference. “At the same time, that means enormous stress for the system, the budget cap, and similar things. As long as we don’t achieve an improvement of one and a half or two seconds, it’s better not to start production because otherwise we waste money.”
Alonso jokes about his future
When asked if a certain result could influence his decision to stay in Formula 1, he jokingly replied: “If I finish P5 in a race, I will probably retire that same afternoon.”
Regardless, it remains to be seen how long Alonso will continue his career in Formula 1. As the currently oldest driver on the grid (Alonso will turn 45 in July), besides the sporting perspective, personal life planning is also coming more into focus. After the birth of his first child just over a month ago, the Spaniard could set different priorities in the future, especially if the hoped-for sporting success does not materialize.
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