Fernando Alonso expressed satisfaction with his fifth-place finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, suggesting that Aston Martin have made progress from the season opener in Bahrain, although more improvements are needed, especially in race pace.
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Alonso Benefits from Safety Car Pit Stop
After starting from fourth on the grid, Alonso lost a position to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the opening laps but continued to pressure the Australian. He then benefitted from making a pit stop under the Safety Car, which was called on Lap 7 following a crash for his teammate Lance Stroll. This allowed Alonso to gain track position over Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, who opted to stay out.
Progress from Bahrain, but More Needed
Alonso finished the race in fifth place, three seconds behind Piastri and four seconds clear of George Russell in sixth. The Spaniard acknowledged that the race pace was better than in Bahrain, where he slipped back from sixth on the grid to ninth. “The pace was better than Bahrain. Still, I think we are faster on qualifying than the race, but we could fight today with the McLarens and the Mercedes,” Alonso said.
While pleased with the progress made in Jeddah, Alonso remains hopeful that Aston Martin can build on this further, particularly in race pace. “It is a small step in the right direction, but we still need to make another step, especially on race pace,” he added.
Aston Martin Eyeing Further Improvements
Alonso acknowledged that Aston Martin was able to capitalize on the Safety Car situation and Carlos Sainz’s injury, which contributed to his fifth-place finish. “We took advantage also on the Safety Car, Hamilton and Norris could not stop at the same time as their teammates, and we capitalize on that. Also, Carlos [Sainz] with the injury, so P5, it tastes really good, and we go on to Australia,” Alonso commented.
With teammate Lance Stroll retiring due to a crash, Alonso was the sole Aston Martin finisher, earning the team 13 points and putting them in fifth place in the constructors’ standings. As the team heads to the next round in Australia, Alonso and Aston Martin will be looking to build on their progress and continue closing the gap to the front-runners.
