“Very Memorable Performance”: Fernando Alonso’s Sarcastic Jab at His Team Reveals Aston Martin’s Reality

Recall the 2023 Fernando Alonso? The Aston Martin driver known for his villainous dialogue and role suddenly turned into a hero and appreciated the team even when things weren’t going right. It was probably the effect of scoring all those podiums earlier in the year. But as Aston Martin dropped in performance this year, it looks like the villain inside Alonso is back. And his sarcastic jab at the team has revealed the reality of Aston Martin’s pace.

The team owner, Lawrence Stroll has a vision to make Aston Martin a championship-winning team, and to do the same, the Canadian has invested millions and millions in the team. And yet, despite all of that, Aston Martin is seemingly taking a step back in terms of performance and has been the 5th-best team on the grid. But not really bad though! Or we thought so, as the 2X champ reveals what the actual pace of the AMR24 should’ve been.

Time and time again, we’re reminded of Fernando Alonso’s skills and ability to extract more from the car than even the engineers know. The 2024 season has been all about Alonso putting his AMR24 in the Top 5 at times when the car was barely good enough to score points, and the outperforming tradition continued at the Miami GP. Many thought that Aston Martin had a blunder in the qualifying as Fernando Alonso only managed P15, whereas it was P11 for Lance Stroll.

Little did we know that according to Aston Martin’s simulation, Alonso was expected to finish P19, and yet he made it to Q2. The Spaniard explained the same but indirectly took a jab at his team, suggesting it was one of the most memorable moments for him to outperform the simulated result. He said, “It was a great surprise to have reached Q2. Our computers told us that we should have qualified 19th, so we are very happy. It probably won’t be a very memorable performance, but I think it is one of the best classifications of my life.”

Regardless, coming into the Miami GP, Fernando Alonso had already suggested the Miami GP would be a hard track for the team as it doesn’t suit the car. So nobody might be expecting miracles from the Aston Martin driver. However, Lewis Hamilton’s Sprint Race shenanigans made the weekend worse for Alonso and Aston Martin.

Fernando Alonso suffers because of Lewis Hamilton’s “Bull” approach 

During the Sprint Race before qualifying, Lewis Hamilton had a great start and decided to dive bomb Fernando Alonso into Turn 1, who had Lance Stroll and Lando Norris on his outside. The 7X champ locked up on the apex and went straight into Fernando Alonso, causing a puncture to his car and damage to Stroll and Norris’ cars. After the crash, the Aston Martin driver suggested that Hamilton come in like a bull. After the session, it was found that even Alonso’s car had some damage.

The Briton was clearly at fault, but no penalty was awarded by the FIA for the same. Alonso didn’t like the fact and turned the issue into a matter of race, suggesting the FIA didn’t do anything because Hamilton isn’t a Spaniard. In recent races, Alonso has been awarded some controversial penalties. He has now come out and advised that he will talk to Mohammed Ben Sulayem regarding the same.

What do you make of Aston Martin’s pace? What has happened to the team after an amazing start to the 2023 season? They’ve just been falling down the order slowly but surely.