Pride deafens us to the advice or warnings of those around us. Fernando Alonso’s “El Plan” has been given a huge boost after a new finding surfaced regarding the Aston Martin. With the green team on the move, Red Bull has to be careful and might need to start looking in the rear mirrors more often.
Aston Martin has shocked everyone with their performance at the first couple of races. Being considered the dark horse after the Bahrain test, the Silverstone-based team has definitely over-delivered on its promise. Fernando Alonso finished on the final step of the podium in both races. With Ferrari and Mercedes struggling, Aston Martin is the closest competitor to Red Bull. However, depending on the fuel load, they still look about half a tenth to about a second behind the Red Bull.
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The British team shares most of its rear components with the Mercedes, including the engine, gearbox, and rear suspension. While the car is inspired by the Red Bull, the Mercedes-based rear does not allow the diffuser to be as efficient. The YouTube channel VGM suggests that the Mercedes gearbox is beefier toward the bottom, reducing the space for the diffuser to work. Hence, to make up for the less efficient diffuser, Aston Martin has to run a higher downforce rear wing, which causes more drag. More drag means the Aston Martin is slower in the straight, which has been evident in the first two races.
Aston Martin is expected to bring a new rear wing to the Australian Grand Prix to aid in their pursuit of the Red Bulls. If the rear wing is less draggy than the current one and works like it’s expected, Aston Martin might get a speed boost on the straights, helping them inch toward the Red Bulls.
Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin are eager for more. Already having 2 podiums, the green team is hungry for wins now, and the same can be said about Alonso. But will this update be enough for Aston Martin to beat Red Bull? Only time will tell.
Can Fernando Alonso win his 33rd GP at Albert Park?
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If the Mercedes and Ferrari woes continue, Aston Martin would be a strong contender to finish on the podium, with Alonso being the pick of the two Aston Martin drivers. However, Fernando Alonso continues in F1 to win. The Spaniard had been waiting for his 33rd win for a long time and it might be coming. Only 5 drivers have achieved the milestone of 101 podiums in F1. And for all five, their 101st podium was a win. If the same theory is applied in Alonso’s case, his upcoming podium might be a win. Verstappen has already mentioned the fact that race wins are on the table for Aston Martin.
According to SkySports.com, Max Verstappen said, “So I guess it can only get better for them. And I think for this year, difficult to say if they’re going to challenge for the championship, but race wins are definitely on the table.”
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Do Fernando and Aston Martin have what it takes to beat Red Bull in the upcoming race?