Aston Martin F1 News: Fernando Alonso Gives Warning - 'We Will Not Apologize'

Fernando Alonso displayed resilience and skill in qualifying third at the Chinese Grand Prix, readying Aston Martin for a challenging race.

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain during media / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

At the Chinese Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso claimed a solid third-place start, impressing many with his performance. Despite this strong start, the Aston Martin driver has hinted at further potential improvements and expressed readiness for a defensive race strategy. "We will not apologize," he warned.

During the qualifying session for the Chinese Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso and the Silverstone squad showcased their best performance yet by securing the third spot on the grid. Behind the dominant Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Alonso managed to edge out stiff competition from the McLaren and Ferrari drivers in a session that tested the limits of all involved.

Starting the session with a scare, Alonso described a near mishap that could have derailed his qualifying effort.

"Sector One I had a moment in Turns One and Two and I nearly lost the car. Then I said 'OK, I keep going or abort the lap' because I lost two-tenths in two corners. We didn't give up and kept on pushing through the lap and set a good lap time," recounted Alonso.

His resolve paid off, not just in his lap times but also in the overall performance feedback which has been increasingly positive since the Sprint race adjustments. 

Alonso's confidence reverberated through his post-quali interview with DAZN:

"An incredible Saturday again," he beamed. "Yesterday we made P3 in rainy conditions and today the same in normal conditions. It makes me happy and I'm happy for the team. We haven't started as well as last year but this shows that we weren't giving up.

"Every race we try to improve a little more. It follows the trend of this year a bit. We qualified very well and then we don't have the race pace of those in front. We saw it this morning when we made a block and then we qualified. ahead again.

"I guess tomorrow will be a defensive race where sooner or later they will overtake us but we are not going to apologize for qualifying well." 

The team had made minor yet crucial adjustments post-sprint to address balance and performance issues, setting them up better for the main race. Adapting to real-time race conditions as opposed to pre-race simulations also played a significant part in their strategy formulation.

"The simulator is a bit of a theory. F1 is a very dynamic sport that changes every second. There are so many variants that the simulator cannot calculate and you have to be aware to see what can be done . Happy with today. Tomorrow is going to be another story but I'll think about it tomorrow and enjoy today's work. "