F1: Alonso’s happiness, his talk with Sainz and two seconds for concern

The Aston Martin driver finishes the race in Bak with a feeling of success for several reasons. For the next tests, he only has a but

In the bowels of the Bak circuit paddock, near the Aston Martin motorhome, Fernando Alonso chatted animatedly with his lifelong adviser, Flavio Briatorethe owner of the squire, Lawrence Strolland his teammate -and son of the owner- Lance Stroll. There was a good atmosphere. There was even joy. After the worst result of the season… How was it possible? Aston Martin and Alonso left Azerbaijan this Sunday with the same feeling of success as after the podium finishes in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, even better.

Alonso’s fourth place was the confirmation that this season there will be victories and that this utopian objective, to challenge the Red Bull for the World Cup, is not so utopian. Will it be next year? Will it be in 2025? The horizon is illegible, but it is clear, sunny, radiant. If there was any doubt after the first three races, during the strange April break, there are none left. For many reasons.

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Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso teaches another lesson against Carlos Sainz and touches the podium in Bak

Fernando Alonso teaches another lesson against Carlos Sainz and touches the podium in Bak

First of all because the urban layout of Bak was one of the worst in the championship for Aston Martin. Its long straights underlined the weak point of the car, its top speed, and the absence of linked curves nullified its greatest virtue, its aerodynamics. During free practice and qualifying, Alonso found himself far from the Ferraris and even behind the Mercedes of lewis hamilton and that’s why I set the Top 5 as my goal. In the end, he almost stormed the podium of charles leclercwho started from pole position and finished third with less than a second ahead of the Spaniard.

Ferrari has lived a perfect weekend. They took pole position in the main race and in the sprint race, their car was super fast, and despite this we were only one second behind. In the team we have already become aware of our situation, we are in a place where we did not expect to be and we have many talented people in the factory, warned the two-time Formula 1 champion in new praise for his mechanics.

The DRS, fixed

It was not be for lowerly. For the first time this season, Aston Martin suffered a mechanical problem and was able to solve it on time. The British team placed a new rear wing on their car on the Azerbaijan circuit, a key piece, an invention that should increase the maximum speed, and the novelty annoyed the DRS. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. On Friday, in the only free practice session, panic spread. Alonso could stand in the race devoid of the system that most helps in overtaking, both his own and those of others. But in the end everything worked out. On Saturday in the sprint race the wit already worked and this Sunday in the classic race it did not fail even once. In his attack on Hamilton, the one that took him from sixth to fifth, the DRS was essential.

It has been a difficult weekend for us, really. We have had problems with the DRS and also with the set-up, accepted Alonso with more reasons for happiness. Because his car flew where it was not expected and his team diligently solved the first mishap of the year, but also his partner presented himself as a faithful squire.

Tell Fernando not to try to attack him. We are on the same strategy, Stroll proclaimed over the radio in the first few laps, before Alonso passed Hamilton. The two Aston Martin drivers had to hope that the high tire degradation of the Mercedes leader would make him lose position, but along the way Stroll could try to vindicate himself against Alonso. He did not do it. And the Spaniard somehow appreciated the gesture a few laps later, asking on the radio to pass his telemetry to Stroll in case it helped him.

In the end, the Canadian could not overcome Hamilton and finished seventh, but it was shown that everyone is going together. I didn’t feel comfortable with the car and I made some mistakes [en una ocasin casi se estrella contra el muro]. As a team we have several things to work on, but we can be satisfied, commented Stroll after congratulating Alonso for his best maneuver, the maneuver that gave him fourth place, surely the most memorable maneuver of the race.

The only but

After passing Hamilton, the safety car appeared and the Aston Martin leader took advantage of precisely that circumstance to place fourth. As soon as he left, the exit was his time. The accordion effect usually hinders the less clever and this time it was Carlos Sainz who suffered the acceleration of his compatriot. In turn four, on the inside, Alonso pushed the Ferrari away and in a few laps it was going and going and going. In the end, the gap with Sainz increased to 20 seconds.