The Qatar Grand Prix highlighted several issues, such as the FIA’s handling of the race and the battle at the top for the Constructors’ Championship, which will conclude in Abu Dhabi this weekend. However, Fernando Alonso’s seventh-place finish at Lusail offered additional insights, marking Aston Martin’s return to the points after a challenging four-race stretch.
In recent rounds, the Silverstone team faced stiff competition, particularly from a resurgent Alpine, and struggled to adapt to various circuits, some featuring slow corners and others with uneven surfaces. Like the Mercedes W15, the Aston Martin AMR24 thrives on rigid, low-set setups to generate downforce from the floor but risks bouncing on bumpy tracks.
The Qatar circuit, with its smooth asphalt, fast corners, and relatively low temperatures, proved more compatible with the AMR24. “I think the nature of the track, with many high-speed corners, helped our car compared to recent weekends, as did the temperatures,” Alonso noted after the Sprint Race qualifying session.
Smooth Asphalt and Cool Temperatures: Unlocking the AMR24’s Potential
Smooth asphalt and cool conditions were crucial, as emphasized by Mike Krack after Sunday’s race, where Alonso claimed a well-earned seventh place. “I believe some factors helped us this weekend. The asphalt is quite smooth, not bumpy, and it was cooler than expected. These elements certainly didn’t penalize us,” the Team Principal said.
The AMR24 was designed to improve efficiency in high-speed sections compared to last year’s car. However, it still struggles to generate consistent downforce from the floor, often triggering bouncing. With smooth asphalt, the car could be kept low and stiff without requiring softer setups, enhancing stability in corners and downforce generation. This provided the drivers with a more competitive and predictable car.
Additionally, Aston Martin alternates between two floor specifications depending on the circuit’s characteristics. For Lusail, the team used a floor design that debuted in Budapest, better suited to high-speed tracks.
Mike Krack also highlighted the impact of temperature on tire performance. Unlike its predecessor, the AMR24 quickly heats its tires but suffers from thermal degradation. Qatar’s relatively cool conditions reduced this issue, preserving tire performance.
The Strategic Dimension: The Double Pit Stop Risk
Aston Martin’s strategy during Alonso’s race is another noteworthy aspect. The team opted for a double pit stop under the Safety Car to move away from the hard tires, which were less effective and harder to warm up. Most teams delayed their first stop to minimize time on the hard compound or to wait for a Safety Car, given the difficulty of overtaking in Qatar.
The Safety Car was deployed following punctures for Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz, allowing track debris to be cleared. Like other teams, Aston Martin pitted to switch to the hard tires. However, they later made a second stop to replace the hard tires with a compound they deemed more competitive—also the hard tires.
Interestingly, Alonso initially disagreed with this decision due to the risk of losing two positions to Guanyu Zhou and Kevin Magnussen. The team factored in Sauber’s tire warm-up struggles, but the battle with Magnussen was much closer. Alonso narrowly retained his position exiting the pit lane, which would have been lost with even a slight delay during the stop.
The gamble ultimately paid off, aided by Zhou’s hesitation during the Safety Car restart. This allowed Alonso to overtake the Sauber easily, despite briefly losing the position in the pits.
Several factors helped Aston Martin’s strategy work, including their car’s ability to quickly warm up the tires, Zhou’s surprise at the restart, and Alonso’s sharpness. Had Alonso lost a position to Magnussen, recovering it would have been much harder, especially with drivers like Alex Albon gambling on soft tires behind him.
“These decisions must always be made quickly. It’s an option, and I was surprised that more teams didn’t choose it. I think we would have benefited even more without the second Safety Car. After the first restart, everyone realized we needed to prepare the tires much better for the next one. So yes, I think it was a good decision. Whether it was faster than the hard tire over 18-19 laps remains to be analyzed, but it was definitely better for warm-up,” Mike Krack concluded.
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