Alonso's F1 radio statements not hint that he has lost faith

Aston Martin: Alonso’s F1 radio statements are not a hint that he has lost faith in the team

Aston Martin says that Fernando Alonso's critical radio remarks during the Japanese Grand Prix are not the result of growing dissatisfaction with the team.

(Motorsports news) Aston Martin, which began the 2023 season as Red Bull’s main challenger, has dropped back into the trailing pack and must now fight hard simply to finish in the points. Alonso did not hold back during the Suzuka race last weekend when it came to expressing his thoughts on how things were progressing.

Alonso stated after being the first top six racer to pit on a day when tyre deterioration was extreme: “You’ve thrown me to the lions by stopping that early.” Later in the race, he criticized Aston Martin’s lack of straightline speed as he struggled to closing in on the Alpine vehicle going ahead of him.

Alonso is known for making critical statements in the car, and his comments were intriguing given Aston Martin’s competitive woes. However, team principal Mike Krack felt that Alonso’s comments were nothing out of the ordinary and that his crew saw them as more motivating than critical.

“I think you can listen to the 20 drivers, and everybody’s really hard,” he stated. “Everyone is enthusiastic. What driver is, if the driver isn’t doing something like that? “I think it’s fine.” We use it as incentive, and it always offers up a new perspective on things. So, everything is fine.”

Krack stated that the lack of straightline speed that Alonso was mentioning was due to the team’s decision to use a high downforce level to assist them better control tyre degradation. “The more you bolt-on, the better pace you have for better degradation, and vice versa,” he stated.

“So it’s a matter; you must make a decision.” At the end of the day, we tried to go a little lower or a little higher over the course of the weekend. And we ultimately decided to race in this manner. “I think the car performed a little better than we expected in terms of degradation during the race.” So, I believe that was the correct decision.”

Krack feels that Aston Martin’s present lack of competitiveness stems from the company’s failure to make the same progress with upgrades as competitors. “It’s called development,” he explained. “You can see that some competitors have made significant progress, while others have made less, and it appears to be quite simple.” We haven’t done nearly enough.”

Also read: Russell has “zero hard feelings” over the Mercedes F1 team orders