Aston Martin stumbled once again during the Austrian GP qualifiers. Drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll only managed to secure the fifteenth and seventeenth spots respectively. Despite being compared to McLaren and Mercedes at the start of the season, the British team seems to be struggling. “We’re going backwards,” a frustrated Stroll commented.
What a contrast to 2023. Just a year ago, Aston Martin was dominating the top ten in Spielberg. On Saturday, Lance Stroll had to bow out in Q1, while Fernando Alonso struggled to reach the second session. The British team had to settle for P17 and P15. Alonso was not surprised that he couldn’t get his AM24 further up the grid. He remains pessimistic for the upcoming races.
Anticipated Performance Struggles
“We saw this coming,” was his cynical response. “I expect the same result in Silverstone. We tried different things, we made a lot of adjustments between the sprint and the qualification. Unfortunately, the positions remained unchanged.” Alonso drove to P15 during the sprint race in Austria, while his colleague Lance Stroll finished at P10.
Previous Year’s Superior Speed
“We lack the fundamental speed we need,” sighed the two-time world champion. “The team is working very hard, but the material we are currently starting with is not good enough.” Interestingly, Alonso was half a second faster on the Spielberg circuit last year. His 2023 time would have earned him the second starting spot on Saturday, next to Max Verstappen. Where does he fall short in 2024?
“You should ask the team,” responded the 42-year-old driver. “I just focus on racing, the team can reflect on the data and analyze everything.” Teammate Lance Stroll was a bit more succinct. The Canadian, knowing that he just extended his contract with Aston Martin, had to settle for the seventeenth time. “We made some adjustments, but the car is now going backwards,” he said visibly frustrated. “We start at the back on Sunday so it remains to be seen what we can still do.”
