Fernando Alonso frustrated after the British Grand Prix: « You never get it right with me »

If, like last year, the British team managed to get both its drivers into the points, the result is somewhat disappointing when looking at the complexion of the race. Degradation issues for Stroll and a poor strategy for Alonso compromised the race for both drivers, who finished their home Grand Prix in 7th and 9th places.

If the Canadian denounced, declaring that it was the worst race car I have ever driven in my life to his engineer Gary Gannon, the Spaniard rather criticized the team’s strategy for him.

A poorly negotiated strategy in the Alonso clan

The double world champion made his first stop on the 12th lap like the five drivers ahead of him. However, he was one of the main losers in the pit stop game. While he was sixth, he came out of the pits in 10th position, overtaken by Albon and Ocon who hadn’t stopped, but more importantly by Hülkenberg and his teammate Lance Stroll who moved from 12th to fourth place by stopping a lap earlier.

During the safety car intervention, the Oviedo native took to the radio to ask his engineer Chris Cronin for explanations about all the positions he lost. « All the drivers in front of us, do they have more worn tires or did we lose places just for fun? »

When it was explained to him that apart from Ocon, all the other drivers also made a pit stop, the Spaniard did not hide his frustration. “It’s crazy how you never handle things well with me.”

But a rewarding choice at Stroll

The strategy was indeed much better on the other side of the garage. Starting in seventeenth position after a new elimination in Q1, Lance Stroll got rid of his intermediate tires on the 6th lap during a virtual safety car and switched to soft tires while the track was drying. In just four laps, the Canadian successively overtook Ocon, Tsunoda, and Albon. He then returned to the pits on the 10th lap as the rain intensified to put on a new set of intermediates. This decision allowed him to pit a lap before most other drivers and perform an undercut.

A risky choice due to delicate weather conditions but one assumed by the team director, Andy Cowell. The Briton stated that the team had planned two different strategies for the drivers because of their distant positions on the starting grid. « This morning, while preparing the strategies, Fernando was in 7th and Lance in 18th. So, there were two possible race scenarios, and we decided to take two different approaches », he explained.

« Now, after the race, with our Monday morning quarterbacking, we can say: ‘Actually, what would have been the ideal race. And maybe Fernando should have copied exactly what we did with Lance at that moment. It might have worked better.’

A not fully optimized result for Aston Martin at Silverstone

Cowell also reflected on the decision to call Alonso in early when the track was drying. A gamble that didn’t really pay off. « We were the first team to switch back to slicks, probably a bit too early. With the mediums, we lost tire temperature, performance dropped, and Fernando had to fight to come back. »

The former head of the engine division at Mercedes also understands the frustration of the Spanish world champion for whom the result could have been better this Sunday.

« I think that everyone who has been in this competitive environment for a long time knows that during a race, in the cockpit, you don’t see everything. And when a series of pit stops makes you lose a few places, you want to know why. All drivers have had these kinds of reactions. It seems personal, but it’s not. »

The Aston Martin driver nevertheless stated that he would now try to always pit at the same time as Stroll, believing that the Canadian’s engineers make better decisions than his own.

Despite the frustration, Aston Martin leaves Silverstone with eight points collected, bringing its total to 36 units, allowing it to catch up with Racing Bulls. The British team will have the chance to do better in three weeks at the Belgian Grand Prix.