Aston Martin faced a double elimination in Q1 during the United States Grand Prix on Friday. Fernando Alonso has openly acknowledged that Aston Martin’s management of the qualifying session on Friday evening was suboptimal, leaving him dealing with traffic woes and ultimately leading to his Q1 elimination.
This unusual qualifying session was due to the sprint weekend format, where parc ferme rules were in effect ahead of qualifying, preventing any setup changes. This posed a significant challenge for Aston Martin, as Alonso’s best effort only secured him the 17th spot on the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
This outcome marked Alonso’s first Q1 elimination of the season and the first time he failed to progress to Q3 throughout the year. Despite his early elimination, the 42-year-old managed to outqualify Lance Stroll, who will start from 19th place. Stroll’s limited laps during Free Practice 1, attributed to a brake issue, and Alonso’s extended garage time added to the team’s challenges in understanding the new upgrades package introduced for this weekend.
Given the lack of practice time, it was a daring move by Aston Martin to implement significant upgrades, leading Alonso to express concerns about dealing with “too many unknowns” before qualifying. He also highlighted that traffic during his out-lap was less than ideal. Alonso’s final flying lap in Q1 was compromised as he encountered turbulent air from cars in front.
Alonso stated, “It [the lap pace] was the maximum,” and criticized the management of the out-lap, particularly regarding traffic. He explained that he crossed the start/finish line with just one second left on the clock to start his final flying lap, which impacted his performance.
With the Grand Prix performance heavily compromised, Alonso considered the weekend as an opportunity to test the new car’s package for next year, even though it has been challenging. He emphasized that they would continue to learn and adapt in the remaining sessions, despite the difficulties encountered.
