Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin will treat today’s sprint race as if it was another practice session as they are unlikely to gain anything from it.
Both Aston Martin drivers were eliminated in the first round of qualifying for the first of F1’s two races at the Interlagos circuit this weekend. The struggling team has reverted to the floor specification it introduced at the Japanese Grand Prix seven months ago.“We didn’t have the pace in qualifying,” said Alonso, who will start 16th. “We made some changes also after FP1 that we knew that they were maybe detrimental to the pace of the car but we had to keep ourselves focussed for Sunday more than Saturday.
“[In] the sprint race, it’s unlikely that we’ll score points. For us it’s more a free practice.”
Under F1’s revised regulations introduced this year, teams have the opportunity to alter their cars’ set-ups between the sprint races and qualifying for the grand prix. Alonso says Aston Martin will focus on making the most of that opportunity.
“The sprint [race] for us really means nothing as there are only eight cars scoring points and even if you are eighth or seventh, you score one point or two,” he said. “So the format doesn’t reward anything to be fast on Friday night and Saturday, for us it’s much more focussed on Sunday. Sunday [is what] we need to put all our beans on.
“So that’s the way we treat this weekends, a little bit useless until Saturday afternoon, and it’s the case for this one as well.”
Alonso’s team mate Lance Stroll qualified on the back row of the grid. “We just didn’t have the pace to fight for more today,” he said.
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Ideals (@ideals)
2nd November 2024, 9:04
Aston Martin is such a mystery, with all the talent currently there you’d think they would be much higher up the field, yet they’re only barely hanging on ahead of Sauber. I guess they gave up on this season a while ago, but still, yikes. 2026 can’t come soon enough for them.
As for sprints. To be fair, it still means rather little to me too. We rush through a shortened qualifying that is otherwise the same as every other qualifying to get a quick race that is maybe going to flip the scale one point in either direction between two drivers in the WDC and then we still have to do actual qualifying later that same day and it all just feels so superficial.
I am sure it gets more engagement than a free practice session though, so ai guess we love it.
Inspector Eisenhorn
2nd November 2024, 11:42
Most of the new big names they’ve signed haven’t started working for them and some have arrived too recently to make a difference yet. However, even before the 5 men, who are so high profile they’d be the technical director / chief designer at most teams, they had a lot of well known names. Those guys’ value will surely drop as a result of their failure to make things work without Newey and co.
None more than Dan Fallows. He can kiss the chance of ever landing the same role at another team goodbye and he’s obviously not going to be chief designer. His/their failure to make any progress after the first third of 2023 convinces me that all the talk about Fallows was true: all he could do was copy the RBR concept and once he had to develop it beyond the last iteration he saw at RBR, he didn’t know how to do it.
Inspector Eisenhorn
2nd November 2024, 11:44
obviously not going to be chief designer at AM going forward even if he retains the same title*
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
2nd November 2024, 9:49
It’s worryingly late to get it right for 2026 – engine, chassis, wind tunnel, facilities, Newey, and other brilliant ideas. El Plan still very unrealistic but I hope at least they finally manage to get a decent car.
How on earth did they manage to loose so much performance, absolutely baffling, same for the current Red Bull’s state. I am enclined to think there could be some truth in the flexi-wing clampdown that seemed to affect Aston and also in the bib device found on the Red Bull.
We’ll probably never know, but we’ve seen so much shady and clever tricks over the years that it lies in my realm of the “definitely possible”.
Inspector Eisenhorn
2nd November 2024, 11:31
The teams aren’t allowed to do design work on the 2026 cars yet. So, no, it’s not too late at all.
anon
2nd November 2024, 12:52
Inspector Eisenhorn, actually, the teams are allowed to start development work on the 2026 cars in some areas, as it’s mainly testing of aerodynamic components that is restricted right now.
The FIA’s regulations state that teams cannot undertake wind tunnel testing or CFD modelling on aerodynamic components that will be fitted to the 2026 cars until the 1st January 2025. However, the teams are permitted to undertake preliminary development work on aerodynamic components, so long as they are not actively putting them into a wind tunnel or carrying out CFD modelling work.
Outside of the restrictions on aerodynamic testing, you’ll find that there are other areas that teams can work on – for example, the regulations explicitly state that you’re allowed to carry out design and testing work on the braking systems of the 2026 cars, so long as you’re not using it to carry out aerodynamic testing on brake duct designs as well.
Grapmg
2nd November 2024, 13:35
It’s an interesting strategy nothing to gain below 8th position so work on the setup instead of the sprint race. This seams like an unwanted effect of the new rules see how many times they will enter the pits.
Mayrton
2nd November 2024, 19:15
Well, you are not alone in this.