P19 instead of podium, test drives instead of races: Fernando Alonso hasn’t been doing well since Miami. In Imola, Lance Stroll had to pull the chestnuts out of the fire. 2024 has not been a good year in Formula 1 for Aston Martin so far. The big Imola update did not bring the desired success. The balance in particular is still a headache.
Aston Martin: Despite updates in the Formula 1 setup jungle
“Let’s not get carried away,” Mike Krack tried to calm things down after the race in Imola. The fact is: in 2023 at this time, Aston Martin had already achieved five podiums. All by Fernando Alonso. In Monaco, the Spaniard almost took pole position and had a good chance of his 33rd victory. The picture is different before the race in Monte Carlo in 2024. No podiums, the balance of the AMR24 is a mess.
“We had hoped for more from the upgrades,” says Lance Stroll agrees. “The balance problems we’ve had all season are still there.” Finding the sweet spot of the AMR24 is much more difficult than last year. Individual bright spots like Saudi Arabia (P5), Australia (P6) or Alonso’s P3 in China qualifying cannot disguise this.
Red Bull’s first pursuer in 2023, Aston Martin will be chased by its little sister team in 2024. The buffer in the constructors’ standings is 24 points to the Racing Bulls. “Oversteer at the entrance, understeer in the middle. It’s not as good over the kerbs as it was last year,” says Lance Stroll, describing the car’s problems. His teammate is struggling with the same limitations.
Fernando Alonso: Better test driver than P9 in the race
“We have a few options for improving the setup. We already tested that with my car on Sunday in Imola,” said Fernando Alonso. Aston Martin rebuilt its AMR24 again and started from the pit lane. “If you’re not fighting for the top 5 or top 7, you try a different setup and make it a test weekend. Before I finish the race in P9, I’d rather solve the car’s problems.”
“In Imola, it was the search for answers that drove me,” the Asturian explains. “With the updates, we have added more downforce to the car, but we cannot use it efficiently due to the lack of balance in the corners.” In addition, the current generation of cars with more downforce on the car will be more critical to drive.
However, the 42-year-old does not want to accept the criticism that his team is not developing well despite many updates. “We have improved, but the others have improved more. That’s why we have lost a few places,” the two-time world champion analyzes. “Compared to the others, we have gotten worse.”
“Last year in the middle of the season we were the ones who were copied. That can only change very quickly and you suddenly take two or three steps backwards. We have to focus on ourselves and find our way back,” said Alonso. Hope: “Then you find something on the car and that changes everything.”
In terms of track characteristics, Monaco should also suit Aston Martin better than Imola. “We are ready for anything. Of course we had high expectations last year because our car was very strong in the slow corners,” says Fernando Alonso. “This year it’s more up and down.” But: If he can repeat his qualifying lap from Shanghai, anything is possible in Monaco.
Max Verstappen against Lando Norris, Logan Sargeant against the loss of his cockpit: the Monaco GP has a lot to offer. Here are the highlights of the eighth Formula 1 weekend in 2024.