Aston Martin left the Formula 1 Japanese GP with some signs of evolution, even after a difficult race without scoring points. Fernando Alonso highlighted that completing the race was an important step for the team, which still faces performance limitations.
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The result gains relevance amidst the team’s development phase, as it seeks to improve reliability and speed. Despite the difficulties, mainly with the Honda engine, the team considers that the weekend brought important data for the next stages.
Alonso finished 18th and positively evaluated the fact of completing the race: “Finishing the race here in Suzuka today shows clear progress for the team, and that is a positive point we should take from the weekend,” he stated. The Spaniard also highlighted the importance of track time for development.
Even without a competitive pace, the two-time F1 champion highlighted the usefulness of this race: “Although we didn’t have the pace, it was good to gain valuable mileage. Now we are going to analyze the data from Silverstone and Sakura and continue pushing development,” he said, already projecting improvements before the Miami stage.
On the other side of the garage, Lance Stroll was unable to complete the race after a technical problem. The Canadian reported that he was satisfied with the contest, despite the lack of competitiveness: “I was enjoying the race, even though we weren’t competitive and were fighting for the last positions,” the Canadian stated.
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Stroll explained that the retirement was caused by a possible water pressure problem in the internal combustion engine: “We still need to investigate, but it looks like a water pressure problem in the ICE. I was having fun until that moment, defending from Fernando, but it’s clear we have a lot to work on,” he added.
Team principal Mike Krack reinforced that completing the distance with one of the cars was the main objective: “The goal today was to complete the race, which we achieved with Fernando in P18. This is a significant moment for the team and for our technical partner Honda in their home race,” he stated.
Krack also acknowledged that there is still work ahead: “We showed that reliability is improving, but the water pressure problem in Lance’s car shows that there is still much to do. The performance level is far from ideal and we need to work hard to bring improvements,” he concluded, thanking the drivers for the determination shown during the race.
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