Mike Krack’s job managing drivers made more difficult with owner and driver combo’ FA will have fun with this!
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/alonso-still-getting-used-to-aston-martin-f1-cars-steering-quirks/10441065/ Alonso still getting used to Aston Martin F1 car's steering quirks Fernando Alonso has explained where he still needs to adapt to Aston Martin's 2023 Formula 1 car, which cost him while battling Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain, following his Alpine switch. By:Matt Kew Co-author:Alex Kalinauckas Mar 8, 2023 at 11:25 AM The two-time champion ran early in Q3 last weekend to qualify in fifth place before losing out to former McLaren team-mate Hamilton on the run into Turn 4 on the opening lap of the grand prix. But, after Charles Leclerc had retired, Alonso came alive on his hard compound Pirellis to overhaul Hamilton and the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz to score a popular podium on his Aston debut. The Spaniard had been delayed in his battle with Hamilton. Having used DRS to lunge up the inside of the Mercedes into Turn 4, he suffered a spike oversteer at the apex to immediately lose the place. Alonso has revealed that this slide was indicative of his adaption to the AMR23 after his move from Alpine, the driver telling Sky that he was still acclimatising to the power steering assistance. He said: “I think it was still [caused by the] slowing down. “I still need to get used to the power assistance and things on this car. “It’s a bit different compared to Alpine, so it caught me by surprise, to be honest.” Image Unavailable, Please Login Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23, leads Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14 Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images Upon switching from the Renault-engined Alpine to the Mercedes powertrain in the back of the Aston, Alonso reckoned there was not much difference and that this had not contributed to the slide. He continued: “Power unit-wise, I don’t think there is much in it. “But the car itself and the front suspension geometry is always different between cars. “So, you have different feedback from the front grip on your hands on the steering wheel. “At that kind of moment, I am sure I need more time on track and in this car.” Alonso is known to prefer minimal assistance so that he can feel precisely what the front axle is doing. Notably, Alonso, who is no stranger to a soundbite over team radio, did message his race engineer to declare the AMR23 to be a “lovely car to drive” shortly after passing Sainz. When asked by Autosport to elaborate on the car snapping sideways, Alonso said: “I think we know what is causing that, but I will keep it for me. We're still working. “As I said, the car is very new. We need to learn more about the car; I need to get used to the car. “So those moments were more coming from me getting used to the car, getting used to the driving input, feedback from the steering wheel and power assistance. “So, things are not 100% tailor-made yet.”
Aston still fast in Jeddah, right behind Red Bull. Aston has done a great job! Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Saudi Arabia - Jeddah 2023-->Alonso's 3rd place finish puts him up there in some rarified air with more to come. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Not to rain on his parade but somehow I'm thinking that's a statistic only the drivers who came in 4th care about.
Lewis move to Mercedes in 2013 was the luckiest move of all Formula One history.. Nobody could have imagined this in 2012. I was the first to say that leaving Mclaren was a deadly mistake for his career. So kudos to him for taking this risk.
incredibly, contracts. Only so many seats. Mercedes did actually plan to sign Alonso if Lewis didn't extend beyond 2016. If only drivers had a crystal ball, eh?
Nevertheless I strongly believe Alonso will be ranked higher compared with Lewis in twenty years from now. Debatable of course but representative that a legacy is not just about stats.
Strictly speaking as a racing driver, Alonso is one of the most complete ones ever. Politically not so much. This weekend showed clearly how much he's evolved though, after his podium was taken away he casually said he didn't care so much, as he was the one that got to stand on the podium, the pictures taken and by simply driving quicker. 15 years ago he'd have been (rightly I might add) jumping up and down. Alonso adapts to well at anything he drives, classes outside of F1 as well. I really hope he does indy again and completes the hattrick.
Yep, Just as a reminder he destroyed Massa and Kimi in Ferrari. His duo with Lewis in 2007 was one of the strongest lineup in history. One of my biggest regrets are the lost titles in 2010 and 2012 against Newey..
Alonso had no business fighting Vettel's Red Bull but somehow managed to drag that donkey into the sharp end
Mercedes imagined it. They committed vast sums, and had too many(seemed that way at first) in top management to take advantage of a new formula. Surely Lewis knew of the effort Mercedes had to offer.
Sure, But in Formula One investing huge amounts of money in not enough to succeed. Toyota demonstrated this perfectly.
Niki Lauda made it very clear that the Mercedes money that Mclaren previously enjoyed all went into the team for their 2014 push. All the right people went to Mercedes team as well... Could anyone have foreseen just how dominant they were going to be? No. Could anyone have foreseen that in a brand new regulation scenario they'd at the very least be on par with Mclaren, given the amount of talent and time they had stuck in the car already? Absolutely. Add in Mercedes paying the money Lewis asked for whilst Ron Dennis offered a salary reduction, and the bags have already been packed before Ron could finish his sentence.
Perfectly stated, I cannot agree more with your statement. Especially 2012 when he was leading at one point by 50 + points, only to get taken out of one race by Lettuce and the other by Kimi, both in Lotus Renaults at the time. He was unlucky with strategy in the last race of 2010, he should have taken out Petrov again in a Renault rather than finished down the way that Race ended. Oh Well.
Hamilton must have done his homework . Everybody thought he was crazy at the time. In restrospect, Jenson Button could have been in that car, had he not turn down staying with Mercedes after they bought Brawn.
Seems luck is also part of a glorious career. Just remember Prost leaving the top team Renault in 1983 for the new Mclaren project which was just at the beginning with its revolutionary carbon tub and a really new tag Porsche engine..
