Fernando Alonso Worried Of 'Stressful' Start To United States Grand Prix Weekend

Saajan Jogia | Oct 16, 2024

zMay 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Aston Matrin driver Fernando Alonso (14) scrapes the track as sparks fly racing into turn five during qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Fernando Alonso is concerned about a stressful FP1 session for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas since the race weekend also hosts a sprint race. Thus, Aston Martin and Alonso must ensure they get the AMR24 setup right from the beginning of the weekend.

Aston Martin's fortunes have taken a sharp downturn since Fernando Alonso's stellar start with the team last season, when he claimed six podiums in the first eight races. In 2024 however, Alonso has yet to return to the podium as the team struggles with developmental challenges, losing ground to the leading contenders.

The team's recent upgrades fell short of expectations, with drivers barely managing to secure points. However, the Spaniard is hopeful that upcoming upgrades from the Silverstone outfit will deliver the much-needed boost in performance. As the team shifts focus toward developing the 2025 car, it is uncertain what immediate steps will be taken to improve results in the final six races of the season.

While Aston Martin celebrated Adrian Newey's signing as the team's chief technical partner and shareholder, his arrival in March 2025 would mean the team could see the results of his inputs only toward the end of the next season, or in 2026.

Alonso anticipates a tense start to the race weekend in Austin but expects things to settle down by the time Sunday's Grand Prix rolls around. When asked if the team was well placed for the US GP, the 43-year-old told the media:

"I hope so.

"Obviously the challenge in Austin is that we come from two street circuits, Baku and Singapore.

"We go there, we have some upgrades for a lot of the teams, and then we have only FP1, and then we go to a sprint.

"So [I'm] looking forward to having a good Austin, but at the same time, I anticipate a very stressful FP1 and decisions into quali[fying]."

Alonso, who secured sixth and eighth-place finishes in Baku and Singapore before the autumn break, acknowledged that Aston Martin is heavily dependent on upgrades to improve the performance of the AMR24. He told the media after the race at Marina Bay:

“Right now, I’m applying all the efforts to overcome a little bit the lack of pace.

“A lot of work has been done and we have been increasing the work to find answers, more than ever now.

“So we are putting everything in, but we are finding that there are no miracles to be made here on track, and we need the help from the factory now in terms of development of the car.”