Fernando Alonso Identifies Peculiar Issue Behind Lack of Safety Car Deployments

Saajan Jogia | Oct 8, 2024

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Aston Matrin driver Fernando Alonso (14) speaks to the media in advance of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has identified a peculiar problem with Formula 1 cars of the current ground effect era that goes "against the instinct of the driver." One side-effect of the issue is a decrease in the number of accidents in recent Grands Prix, resulting in a lack of safety car deployments.

Formula 1 has not witnessed a safety car for nine races so far, including the Singapore Grand Prix, which was a first. While there may not be a straightforward logic for the recent lack of safety car deployments, Alonso reckons it has got to do with the ground effect cars, which mostly run at 90 percent capacity. Explaining his theory, the 43-year-old told the media:

"These cars are not easy to drive, but I think the problem of these cars as well is to extract the 100%.

"So if you drive at 90%, sometimes you are faster because you don't put the platform in an inconvenient angle or ride heights. You are not pushing the limits, and it's where everything falls apart. So sometimes driving at 90% is fast."

Supporting his theory with an example from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Alonso added:

"Baku was a very good example.

"I was P15 in Q1, with Lando's problem. If not I was starting 16th in the grand prix and out of Q1.

"Seven minutes later, I put on another set of tyres, and I was P5 in Q2. I improved like 1.1 seconds. I was driving the same.

"I was braking at the same points. It was the same preparation in that lap, but I was able to improve 1.1 seconds. And some of us did the opposite: they were very fast in Q1 and very slow in Q2, and sometimes we don't find explanations of when we are fast, when we are slow, and why.

"If you go into the details and the unlimited number of sensors we have in the car, we can spot the small differences when the car is slow. We put the car in different attitudes that maybe the car is just not happy and this kind of thing.

"That's why sometimes in the races, because we all drive at 90%, we have to take care of the tyres, the fuel economy, all these kind of things, we don't see too many problems and we don't see too many safety cars or accidents.

"The cars are happier when you drive at that speed. It's a little bit against the instinct of the driver which is that you put a new tyre, you go to qualifying and you drive 110% if you can. But, with this car, sometimes it is something that you have to manage."