Despite starting with both cars in the top 10, Aston Martin returned home from Brazil empty-handed, unable to get either of its cars into the points. Lance Stroll‘s spin during the formation lap, which left him stuck in the gravel shortly after, undoubtedly complicated the race even before it began.
However, aside from the Canadian’s incident, Fernando Alonso also suffered for most of the Grand Prix, and not just metaphorically. After the race, the Spaniard spoke about the severe back pain triggered by the excessive bouncing he experienced during the race, so much so that he considered retiring before the checkered flag.
In reality, both Alonso and Stroll battled against bouncing throughout the weekend, as the new asphalt laid at Interlagos proved to be much rougher than in the past, increasing the bouncing effect that had troubled certain teams at other races, such as Mercedes, which had to raise its car during the first free practice session.
Aston Martin itself, which had previously struggled with bouncing this season and discarded several floor specifications that exacerbated the phenomenon, also had to deal with the uneven asphalt. During the first free practice session, the British team continued its data collection tests, even trying the floor that had debuted in Austin, easily recognizable for the metal supports on the aerodynamic appendages at the outer edges and the curved shape of the step below the radiators, which had already been discarded at the following race in Mexico.
After the free practice sessions, due to the excessive bouncing and asphalt conditions, the team decided to take a step back in preparation for the sprint, reverting to the specification that had been used most throughout the year, which provided the best feedback: the Suzuka floor, which generates less bouncing and offers more confidence to the drivers. However, the two incidents in qualifying on Sunday morning forced Aston Martin to change the floor again on both cars, returning to the Austin specification.
“After this morning, we had to go back to a less performant package on the car. So the race was a bit slower for us, and then we had a brake problem,” Fernando Alonso said after the race. In fact, under certain circumstances, the sprint format allows teams to change the aerodynamic package even in Parc Fermé conditions, as confirmed by the FIA document detailing all the changes made to the cars. However, as the Spanish driver recounted, especially in the second part of the race, the bouncing increased, as did the back pain.
But despite the pain, an uncompetitive car that had been repaired after the qualifying incident, and the brake problems, Fernando Alonso wanted to finish the race for the mechanics, who had done an exceptional job repairing both cars after qualifying in just a few hours, not to mention that many of them had been at the track since 4 in the morning with little sleep.
“In the second half of the race, there was a lot of bouncing. So yes, it was a difficult race. We were out of the points. I think in any other circumstance, I probably would have stopped. But yes, the mechanics did an incredible job before the race to prepare the car for the race, so I had to finish for them,” the Asturian driver shared.
After being comforted and embraced by a mechanic as he struggled to exit the car at the end of the race, Fernando Alonso explained that he was aware of the difficulties his back would face during the race. This issue was compounded by the intestinal infection that had necessitated a return trip to Europe after Mexico.
“It was definitely painful. The preparation for this race was very challenging for me, with many checks, a lot of work; I had to go to physiotherapists and doctors to make it here to Brazil. There was a great effort from everyone: the same effort that the mechanics put in today.” – the former Ferrari and McLaren driver pointed out at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix – “It wasn’t comfortable to be in the car. But there are people worse off than me, even in Valencia; we have these terrible images. And people who are struggling. So I had to push for a couple of laps for everyone,” the Spanish driver said, also recalling the terrible floods that sadly affected Valencia and nearby cities, causing missing persons and fatalities.
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