Once again, speculation has arisen concerning Fernando Alonso’s level of frustration within the Aston Martin team.
The 42-year-old Spanish driver began the 2023 season with a series of podium finishes, sparking excitement that he might soon celebrate his 33rd career victory after a prolonged drought.
However, recent struggles with in-season car development at Aston Martin have led to suggestions that Alonso is growing increasingly outwardly frustrated.
At Suzuka, Alonso’s frustration became evident, particularly after he accused his engineers of “throwing me to the lions” regarding the race strategy.
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Alonso, however, attributed his remarks to the TV broadcast’s misinterpretation of his radio message, stating, “It is always the same. FOM always takes my radio completely out of context.”
Nevertheless, Alonso openly admitted that he disregarded his team’s instruction to exercise caution by avoiding the Suzuka kerbs.
He explained, “I didn’t pay attention because I already had enough to do with the car without going down the middle of the track.
“I was going flat out and trying to maintain the position.”
Alonso also highlighted Aston Martin’s struggles with improving the 2023 car’s DRS mechanism, stating, “We have a great lack of top speed.
“We open the DRS, and the car in front still pulls away from us.”
This issue led to his comment about being “thrown to the lions,” with Alonso pondering how other drivers would react in his situation.
Team boss Mike Krack empathized with Alonso’s frustration, stating, “If a driver was not frustrated, he’d better ask himself if he is suitable for Formula 1.
“So yeah, it’s ok like that for us.
“Everything is absolutely fine. For us, it is a motivation.”
Krack acknowledged that it is reasonable for Alonso to express frustration with the team’s lagging in-season car development this year, emphasising the importance of changing the trend.
He noted, “The trend is important.
“If you start ahead and then others overtake you, it is more difficult for morale.
“And vice versa.
“So for us, it is very important to change the trend. It’s simple – we haven’t done enough.”
Despite these challenges, Krack confirmed Aston Martin’s commitment to bringing further developments to the 2023 car in the remaining six grands prix of the season.
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He mentioned, “There will be more before the last races,” while also acknowledging that the team had added fewer parts in terms of quantity and quality compared to direct rivals.
As the focus shifts toward Aston Martin’s 2024 racer, questions loom regarding whether it will follow the current car’s concept or adopt a more Red Bull and McLaren-like approach.
On this matter, Krack remained tight-lipped, stating, “I don’t want to answer.”