Aston Martin was the massive story in the course of the younger 2023 Components 1 season.
Nonetheless, the season has aged, and the story has modified.
The workforce left the Miami Grand Prix sitting second within the Constructors’ standings. Now they’re behind Mercedes, with Ferrari closing in on them as effectively, Following a “difficult” qualifying session forward of the British Grand Prix, there’s a likelihood the workforce would possibly depart Silverstone — and their residence race — having fallen to fourth.
Fernando Alonso managed to advance to Q3, however may solely place ninth on the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. As for Lance Stroll, he couldn’t advance to Q3 out of Q2, and can begin twelfth within the Grand Prix.
“It’s not the qualifying we wished in what was a difficult session in drying situations,” mentioned Alonso within the workforce’s post-qualifying media report. “There may be nonetheless a protracted race forward of us tomorrow and our Sunday tempo is generally a robust level of this automotive.”
“We nonetheless achieved one other Q3 consequence, however we have to maintain understanding our automotive at completely different circuits,” added Alonso. “The climate tomorrow can also be changeable, because it was immediately, so we have to stay centered and see what we are able to do in race situations.”
Alonso can nonetheless take solace in the truth that when he left Miami he trailed Sergio Pérez by 30 factors within the Drivers’ Championship. He at present is simply 17 factors behind the Pink Bull driver. Whereas which may have extra to do with Pérez’s struggles as of late, it’s one thing for Aston Martin and Alonso to level to proper now.
As for Stroll, it was maybe extra dangerous luck than the rest. A late pink flag in Q1 altered their tyre technique, which can have value him a shot at Q3.
“I believe extra was doable in qualifying immediately,” mentioned Stroll. “The pink flag pressured us to run a 3rd set of tyres in Q1, which meant we didn’t have a brand new set in Q2 and that put us on the again foot compared to others.”
Nonetheless, as famous by Alonso, race tempo has been a power of the AMR23 this season, so there’s a good likelihood they are going to be on the entrance foot Sunday as a substitute of the again foot. As well as, overtaking is feasible at Silverstone, notably when put next with different circuits.
So maybe Aston Martin can put collectively a greater Sunday, after what was a “difficult” Saturday.
