Alonso, Between the Light at the End of the Tunnel and the Persistent Shadows at Aston Martin

Alonso, between the light at the end of the tunnel and the persistent shadows at Aston Martin

The Asturian celebrates the disappearance of the vibrations from the Honda engine, but a new problem in the gearbox clouds the classification in Miami.

The start of the season for Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso has been a true carousel of emotions, a roller coaster where small triumphs are quickly overshadowed by new challenges. After weeks of hard work and frustration due to the persistent vibrations of the Honda engine, which had hampered the development of the car and delayed the team compared to its competitors, it seemed that a ray of hope was finally in sight. Alonso himself confirmed the most anticipated news: the feared vibrations had completely disappeared.

However, fortune, which has eluded the British team in recent times, decided to once again play tricks on the Spanish driver. Just when the main mechanical concern seemed resolved, an unexpected gearbox problem emerged as the new obstacle in the qualifying session of the Miami Grand Prix. The result, a discreet eighteenth place, far from expectations and the fight for points.

“Cross things off the list? Let's add some more, because the truth is that the change (of gears) has been the biggest problem we've had,” declared a visibly upset Alonso to 'DAZN' after the session. His words reflected the harsh reality of a weekend marked by adversity, where each advance seems to be accompanied by a new setback.

The detail of the problems with the gearbox was even more worrying. “I have had tremendously slow and aggressive upshifts, I have lost the synchronization of the gears in several corners and then, when downshifting as well, it was very random. Sometimes I had thrust from the engine and other times I had too much engine braking. It was too random,” explained the two-time world champion, painting the picture of a “perfect storm” that made his performance on the track extremely difficult.

Despite the difficulties, Alonso's mastery behind the wheel allowed him to maximize the result, placing himself ahead of the two Cadillacs and his teammate, Lance Stroll. At the moment, these three cars appear to be the only realistic target for Aston Martin, while the rest of the grid operates in a completely different league. The achievement gap is undeniable and discouraging.

“It was the first time that we have felt it like this throughout the weekend, it has worked well so far, so we have to understand very well what has happened because if in the race this Sunday it rains and the gearbox is not clean and all the gear changes are not relaxed, it will be a more difficult race,” warned Alonso, aware that the rain could further aggravate the situation and turn the race into a test of survival.

When asked if he saw signs of improvement, Alonso was sincere and cautious: “I don't know, to be honest, I think it was a little more of a demerit than the others.” He explained how on his last lap, the problem with the gears caused him to lose almost half a second, a crucial time in modern Formula 1. “When you lose almost half a second due to gear changes here and there… I think it has penalized us a little. So for tomorrow, the most important thing is to improve that. I think 17th is about a second ahead of us, so there is no gear change that will recover that,” he stated, underlining the magnitude of the challenge.

This weekend in Miami has been a chain of misfortunes for Aston Martin. In the sprint race, Alonso had to deal with a worrying overheating of the engine, receiving constant warnings over the radio. Despite this, he fought until the end, overtaking Sergio Pérez on the last lap to cross the finish line in sixteenth position (finally fifteenth after a disqualification). And as if that were not enough, the previous Friday, the team suffered a power outage in its box due to an electrical fault. A cluster of circumstances that confirm the maxim that “when things don't work out, they don't work out.”

Regarding the weather conditions, Alonso was pragmatic: “Nothing is going to change if it's wet or dry. A little bit of changing conditions is fine in case the flute sounds tomorrow. But I think we don't have the rhythm in either the wet or the dry. For practice, if it rains, these are things we'll learn. Only Ferrari does private tests with Pirelli with rain tires, so if it rains tomorrow we'll do the test that Ferrari did last week.” His comment, tinged with irony, highlights the lack of resources and testing opportunities for the team.

Despite everything, the Asturian driver clings to the possibility of completing the Grand Prix without reliability problems: “We can complete the Grand Prix. We don't have the vibrations or any reliability risk, so in that sense we have improved and we could complete it perfectly. Hopefully it will be tomorrow. We already completed it in Japan, it would be the 2nd in a row.” However, he is aware that the road ahead is arduous: “we have a few months left of not having benefits and that is going to be the hardest thing to endure and the most repetitive, because we come here every qualy and every race and I don't know what else to tell you.”

The only positive note, and it is not minor, is the confirmation of the disappearance of the vibrations of the Honda engine: “The vibrations have completely disappeared, so in that sense we have improved a lot and we should not have problems tomorrow.” A small consolation in the midst of a bleak panorama, which leaves the door open to hope for a more promising future, although the present continues to be a constant battle against adversity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What main problem affected Fernando Alonso in Miami qualifying?
The main problem was a gearbox failure, which caused slow, aggressive and random gear changes.

Have the Honda engine vibrations been resolved?
Yes, Fernando Alonso confirmed that the vibrations from the Honda engine have completely disappeared.

What position did Fernando Alonso obtain in the Miami classification?
He obtained eighteenth position.

What other drivers could Alonso compete with in Miami?
He was able to compete mainly with the two Cadillac drivers and his teammate Lance Stroll.

What other setbacks has Aston Martin suffered recently?
They have suffered an overheating of the engine in the sprint race and a power outage in the box due to an electrical fault.

What does Alonso expect from the Miami race?
He hopes to be able to complete the race without reliability problems, but is aware of the car's lack of performance.

How important is rain for the Miami race?
Alonso believes that rain could aggravate problems with the gearbox if it does not work properly.

What did Alonso think about the possibility of improving performance?
He considers that the improvement in the classification was due more to errors by other drivers than to real progress in the car.

When is a significant improvement in Aston Martin's performance expected?
Alonso indicated that there are several months ahead without competitive performance.

What advice would Alonso give to fans about the team?
I would recommend patience and join the community to stay up to date with the news. Join our Telegram channel: https://t.me/casino_gurus!