“I am very happy, and I feel good with the team. I think I was happy last year, and I’m still happy now,” Fernando Alonso told the press in Japan. The fourth round of 2024 takes place in Suzuka on a permanent track – albeit at a different time of year than usual since the Japanese GP is usually held in October. Aston Martin has started the year as the fifth-fastest in a close battle with Mercedes. However, they are several steps behind Mclaren, Ferrari and Red Bull.
“I would like to be further ahead, but last year, we were fighting for better positions at the beginning of the year, and we were more or less in this position at the end of the season,” said the Spaniard.
“But this year it seems that we have a more aggressive roadmap in terms of development and more in line with a top team that wants to fight for great results.”
NEW SIDEPOD AND FLOOR FOR ASTON MARTIN IN SUZUKA
This weekend is very important for Aston Martin, who will debut their first major update package on the AMR24. There are changes to the bodywork, including the bumpers, the floor and to some components at the rear, such as the beam wing.
So far, Aston’s car has suffered from tyre degradation in 2024. This is partly due to its limited aerodynamic load, which causes sliding at high fuel. This forces the team’s engineers to make set-up compromises to find performance at medium and high speeds.
However, the AMR24 does not have a specific weakness in a certain area. Instead, it suffers from a general lack of downforce, as Alonso explained.
“At the moment, we are lacking almost everywhere, and we don’t see a specific area where we are weak. We would like more low-speed performance and better traction.
“We would like to have more load for the higher curves, so sometimes you lose a little time. Tyre degradation is another topic to address, as we still have this tendency to be a little faster on Saturday than on Sunday,” concluded the Double World Champion.
“I probably think it’s better not to have a clear deficit in one area. Because that means there’s something you miscalculated or didn’t fully understand. I think that in our case, it’s just a question of putting more downforce in the car through updates,” said the Spaniard.
Aston Martin’s Suzuka upgrade is brought precisely for this objective, which should also improve tyre management. “Downforce and degradation are linked because having more downforce will also help to have less degradation,” Alonso explained.
FERNANDO ALONSO: “THIS YEAR WE ARE IN THAT IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT RACE, NOT LAST YEAR!”
Formula 1’s current generations of cars still have plenty of potential to unlock. Across the field, engineers are working behind the scenes in a brutally competitive development race. This is something Fernando Alonso identifies as critical for Aston Martin to be on top of:
“We have been very aggressive in developing the car so far, and I think there are a lot of things in the pipeline for the next few months as well.
“We had new parts on the front suspension in Jeddah, a modification to the front wing in Australia. Now we have another package here in Japan,” said Fernando Alonso.
“So far, at every race, we have driven a different car, which is a good sign of what we want to achieve this year – to be very aggressive with the updates.
“We learned a lesson last year. Starting very well and then not evolving the car enough wasn’t good for our second part of the season, and this year, we hope to do the opposite.”
Aston Martin’s new front wing introduced in Melbourne – Illustration by Rosario Giuliana
The Double World champion is confident the team’s 2024 development will be greatly improved.
“There is also a race off the track, and this year we are also there – while last year we were not. To be a top team we must make steps forward in every area.
“This year, we are having the right rate of development, so I think these are all great signs. But at the end of the day, you have to win races and championships, and that’s the hardest thing,” he concluded.
