Fernando Alonso is “an example for everyone,” says Aston Martin boss

Question: Did you expect such a good performance from the team before the start of the season? How do you explain the difference in results compared to last year?

The answer: “No. We’re very happy, but we really didn’t expect it. If you look at the manufacturers standings, we’re seventh, so the progression is massive. But if you look at where we were at the end of the season” it’s different, because we were fighting With McLaren and Albin in the middle of the field. We went from having one of the worst cars at the start of the season to having one in the top half of the table at the end of a year. In Formula 1 you never really know where you are in relation to the competitors, so we have to focus on ourselves and try to advance race after race.”

Q: Do you think you will be able to maintain this level of performance throughout the season?

A: “Yes, our goal was to fight for fourth place behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. It was audacious to say we wanted to fight with the top teams. Today, we are in a race for performance and improvements, fighting with teams that have more resources, more tools And better infrastructure. But we are fighters, so I’m confident we can keep up. Will that be enough to finish second or third? I can’t say. But we will do everything possible to stay where we are. I would be surprised if our performance drops that much.”

Q: What is missing to be able to compete with Red Bull?

A: “Red Bull is way ahead of us. I think we’re missing little things across the board. There’s not one thing we can say, ‘If we had that, we’d beat them.'” In all areas, like aerodynamics, consistency, the operational side, how to set up, production, how quickly you can make improvements, create new parts, analyze data, it’s the sum of all the little things that need to be done. Take a big step forward and close the gap. And that That is why it is so difficult to achieve.”

Q: How has Fernando Alonso helped the team reach this level? Did you expect him to do well?

A: “What helped a lot was the energy he brings to the team, the motivation and the confidence he gave us: ‘Believe in yourself and we’ll get there together,'” he said. It’s greatly improved the team spirit. He brings a lot of positivity, he’s very engaging. “It helped the overall dynamics of the team a lot. I wasn’t surprised at his level. Fernando Alonso is very motivated and wants to perform. He is an example for all of us in the team. Yes, everyone we managed to get his level of motivation, we will be very strong in the future.”

Q: Do you think you can win this season?

A: “It is very difficult to predict and it would be easy to say yes. The important thing is to realize that Red Bull is in control. And you have to be ready in case there is a problem at Red Bull. In Monaco we were the first chasing team, but in Barcelona it was not like that Just in terms of merit, it will be very difficult to win because the difference with Red Bull is too big.”