Fernando Alonso looking forward to ending 2024 season ‘on a positive note’ with Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso described his seventh-place finish at the 2024 Qatar GP as a relief, marking his first points finish since the Singapore GP. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, after the race, the Aston Martin driver expressed satisfaction with the result, especially considering the technical challenges faced during the event.
Prior to Qatar, Alonso last scored points with an eighth-place finish in Singapore. Despite ongoing energy deployment issues—where the car struggles to deploy energy efficiently at race starts and after safety car restarts—the Spaniard was pleased with the performance. He acknowledged that this technical setback has been a persistent challenge for the team. Looking ahead to the season finale in Abu Dhabi, the 42-year-old remains optimistic about maintaining the positive momentum.
Asked by Sportskeeda about the satisfaction of finally being in the points after Singapore, Fernando Alonso said:
“Yeah. In Singapore we were not scoring any points, so today we had this opportunity and we took it. So yeah, happy for the team. Now one race left, it will be nice to finish on a positive note in Abu Dhabi as well.”
Asked about the issues he complained about on his radio, Alonso added:
“Yeah, we had some issues. It’s not the first race that we are lacking top speed in the first lap of the race or after a safety car. I think the car is confused that is still thinking that we are behind the safety cars. So we don't deploy the energy properly out of the last corner when there is green flag. And that obviously is very costly if you don't deploy the energy when you have all the cars around you.
"We lost I think two or this is at the first restart and that was very worrying for the final outcome of the race, but we compensated at the end with some safety cuts and better luck, so we're still investigating. I think we know what the issue is, we just need to find the solution.”
Fernando Alonso reckons Qatar GP race was better than anticipated
Fernando Alonso reckons that his seventh-place finish at the Qatar GP exceeded expectations, thanks to opportunities that arose during the chaotic race. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, the Aston Martin driver highlighted that the retirements, including Sergio Perez’s, along with penalties and safety car interventions, played a significant role in shaping the outcome.
Alonso emphasized the importance of being in the right place at the right time, a strategy that worked in his favor amid the unpredictable conditions. The Spaniard acknowledged that capitalizing on these moments was key to securing the seventh-place finish, making the result more satisfying than anticipated.
Explaining his race in Qatar, Alonso said:
“Very good Sunday for us a lot of points six points for the team, P7. It's better than we anticipated. Obviously, we capitalized on some of the action in front of us on DNF's some penalties. So yeah, we were ready there to take the opportunity and happy for that.
"It wasn't expected that but yesterday the car felt good already in qualifying and P8. I think it was a good surprise and today in the race we were relatively fast together with Alpine and Haas and yeah as I said a little bit lucky at the end with all the safety cars and penalties of Norris and DNF of Checo. So yeah you have to be there you know sometimes when we are P14, P15 even if there is something happening in front of you then you don't take the opportunity. So we were in the right place at the right time today.”
As it stands, Aston Martin sits comfortably in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship with 92 points. Their nearest rival, Alpine, trails behind on 59 points. Fernando Alonso has contributed 68 points to the team’s tally, placing him ninth in the Drivers’ Championship. With just one race remaining on the calendar, both the Silverstone-based team and the two-time world champion are focused on finishing the season on a high note.