Here’s what you need to know

Fernando Alonso Yesterday he achieved a great podium in F1 Brazilian Grand Prix. Unexpected, especially after the problems the team has faced in the last few races, in which it seemed that Aston Martin I’ve hit rock bottom and I can no longer look forward to results like Sunday’s. Why is Alonso back on the podium? Several factors that should be highlighted separately are gathered below.

1

Understanding missing parts

Aston Martin started with the second best car on the grid. Alonso added podiums and more podiums in a row because his direct rivals were behind. Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari improved with further developments throughout the track and the context of superiority ended. These three teams outperformed Aston Martin, which introduced fewer novelties, and those that tested, their performance was not as expected. That’s how we got to the U.S. Grand Prix two weeks ago. Over there Aston Martin has unveiled a new package of developments, the perfect ticket to get back on track and join the battle on the podium.
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Austin, being a quick weekend, with only one training session to test promotions, didn’t go well. And in Mexico, a trajectory with a lot of height, something that affects the lower force, Aston Martin went very badly. The team did not lose its cool and in these two races it took the opportunity to conduct an important test: in one of its cars it installed the new package and in the other, the old one. The goal was to implement Comparison. They arrived in Brazil with a lot of data analyzed and clear conclusions. They knew which parts of the new package worked and which parts of the old package were better, and with them they made a hybrid. With this mixed pack they raced in Brazil and the car took a big step forward.

2

Beware: Brazil can be deceptive

Fernando Alonso is confident that the best form shown by Aston Martin will be maintained in the next two races. But he doubts whether that will help him fight for the podium. Part of the explanation for these doubts lies in this point. Alonso’s last podium of the year before the one he achieved yesterday was in Zandvoort. Which circuit in the F1 calendar is most similar to the Netherlands in terms of a combination of angle type? Brazil.

In Zandvoort, Alonso achieved the podium with a huge performance with the same package that then missed the later tracks. And in Brazil, he returned to the stairs with an exhibition. The difference between one case and another is that in the Netherlands, the Spaniard benefited from changing track conditions. In Brazil, on the other hand, it was fast in drought, a point that brings more optimism because it is more representative.

3

Unstable chase area

Only McLaren is consistent

Another key factor in understanding Fernando Alonso’s return to the podium in Brazil is understanding the performance of his rivals. The F1 grid was very even with the evolution of the cars, and in the chase zone after Max Verstappen, it was confirmed that only McLaren is fast on all types of tracks at this point in the year. Mercedes arrived in Brazil hoping to pull a surprise and fight Verstappen for victory, but suffered a significant and unexpected decline.

Ferrari’s performance varies greatly by track Sainz and Leclerc did not have a car for more in the race. This equality and inconsistency allow teams like Aston Martin can make this leap from fighting for the Q3 to fighting for podiums on favorable tracks like Brazil.

4

Competitors’ mistakes

Alonso did not hide at a press conference. Yes, his Aston Martin car has improved a lot in Brazil and his hands-on offer against Perez has been huge. but also He was able to take advantage of a race in which other big competitors on the podium suffered some setbacks. Alonso knew how to fish in troubled waters.
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For example Oscar Piastri failed in the playoffs When it was raining and had to leave yesterday very late. If I had started the race from a good position, I would have had a car on the podium. Perez also had to go back, and Leclerc was unable to start due to a hydraulic problem. Mercedes was missing at work.

“Why can’t you be competitive in the last two games? I don’t know if it’s platform-wide. We had a good race today. We had Charles who crashed in the race formation lap. Mercedes, who did not They perform as expected. Chico started from behind. There were two factors that helped us climb to the podium. But hopefully we’ll be in the fight, that will be a good place for us,” Alonso said after the race.

5

classification

To qualify for the podium, you have to start from a good position, unless you have a supercar like Red Bull. At the start of the season, Alonso could start 7 and pray podium because his rivals were not strong. Now, with such an even network, it is essential to have a great qualifier, which is one of Aston Martin’s weaknesses this season. For this reason, in part, podiums also began to recede after the Canadian Grand Prix, after a spectacular start by the Spaniard with 6 out of 8 podiums possible.
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In Brazil, Aston Martin was very smart in the qualifiers. In a qualifying complex due to the threat of rain, in Q3 Alonso and Stroll were taken very quickly to the garage street. This allowed them to qualify behind Verstappen and Leclerc, in 3rd and 4th place, before the rain begins. And from this position 4, Alonso did not miss.

6

Eddy Alonso

Obviously, without Fernando Alonso’s hands and tremendous driving quality, podium in the Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix would have been unimaginable and impossible. The Spaniard always gets the most out of his car, track conditions and everything that happens in the race. He knew how to beat Hamilton at the second start so he wouldn’t waste time behind Mercedes, manage the tires when he had to, push when he had to, keep ‘Chico’ Perez behind him with a superior car without making any mistakes, charge the batteries to defend in the best way, and hit the Mexican when no one expected it.

If he has a podium car, he does it, as he showed when he collected 6 podiums in the first 8 races. If the conditions are difficult, he also chooses it because of his adaptability, as he did when he scored this year’s 7th podium in Zandvoort. And if he has a car close to the podium, he is able to put it on the podium by taking advantage of the mistakes of his competitors and maximizing the potential of his car. is He is a piece of work. One of the best ever. Few drivers would have scored on the podium with Aston Martin in Brazil yesterday.