“This weekend is a good opportunity” Alonso seeks to keep the point-scoring momentum going
Written by Bo Helmus
This weekend, it’s time for the Singapore Grand Prix to finish off this triple header. Aston Martin will step onto the Marina Bay Street Circuit with hopes of repeating last week's performance.
The team from Silverstone has scored its best result of the year in Malaysia, more than doubling their point total in one rainy race. Just before this encouraging weekend, Fernando Alonso announced that he will stay with the team next year.
Chasing results
“It was obviously still far away from what we want to achieve,” the two-time world champion started, “but to win the points and to have a competitive pace in the race, it was encouraging. The whole weekend was a bit better, but still what it is and this year has been painful and still a little bit struggling with the pace and the speed on the straight.”
The Spaniard doesn’t think his AMR26 will be competitive in all remaining races: “I think it's going to be circuit dependent. Probably this weekend we could be a little bit in the mix, some others we will be right at the back. So, we need to maximise the good weekends. Last weekend was a good weekend.”
Alonso explains why it will depend on the track: “The car was exactly the same, physically the same, set-up the same, power unit the same, everything was the same as Baku five days before Malaysia, and the performance difference was huge.
“So, it's not about experimenting with the set-up or having the car more in the window or something that we can do on track. Unfortunately, it depends so much on the layout and the straights we have on that weekend. Probably this weekend is a good opportunity, less straights.”
Battling the heat
Singapore is the hottest destination on the Formula One calendar. Some drivers opt to wear cooling vests, but some teams bust their budget on other things, leaving the drivers to deal with the heat themselves.
The 45-year-old isn’t easily impressed, not even by heat: “The drivers, we are obviously well prepared. It's going to be a tough race, but it should not be a problem. It's just the heat more than anything, the humidity, that will make us struggle a little bit in the race, lose a lot of water, and we will have to work on that since probably Friday.”
On whether or not the FIA should regulate cooling systems amongst the teams, Alonso’s opinion is clear: “I don't think it's an FIA duty to push for that. I think the regulation is already there. They declare the temperature already, we have today, I think. So it's up to the teams, the drivers' preferences.
“You can feel even uncomfortable with the system on or wearing it and driving the car. So it cannot be obliged by anyone. So it's a team-driver choice, and the FIA is just monitoring the situation, probably.”
Night race
At least, the drivers won’t drive in the extra heat of the sun, with the race being at night. The Spanish champion says that it doesn’t make a difference in the cockpit: “I think it doesn't change much to us. The circuit is well illuminated. I think it depends on the times in Europe or US or wherever the viewers are preferring the race. I think I have no preference for night or day, and there is no big difference to us.”
Although he does have a preference: “Probably better day, because it's a long day until the race comes. You wake up in the morning, it's a long day, and then you cannot fly home after the race. It's way too late. So actually, it should be early morning, the race, and we have lunch at home. I would definitely do it during the morning, six, seven a.m. Perfect.”
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