Alonso Unapologetic: ‘I Did What I Had to Do’ in Azerbaijan GP
Fernando Alonso Finishes 6th in 2024 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
The 2024 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix proved to be a challenging race for drivers, with tyre management and finding the best one-stop strategy being key concerns. Despite these difficulties, Fernando Alonso managed to secure points for the second time since F1 returned from the summer break.
Throughout the race, Alonso maintained a higher pace than Williams and Haas. Lance Stroll’s retirement also protected him from attacks from both teams.
The End of a Frantic Race
The final stages of the race were more frenetic than expected, with Franco Colapinto stopping early and passing Fernando Alonso, and defending himself by increasing the number of laps on the hard tyre that was deteriorating with each lap. However, Alonso finished sixth, helped by a crash between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez while they were fighting for the podium.
“It was a very good race, in the sense that we did everything we had to do,” said Fernando Alonso.
“My strategy was flexible because I didn’t know if it was going to be one or two stops. There was a lot of risk in trying to maintain the pace without making mistakes.”
“This weekend was not about getting into Q3 or finishing ahead of Haas or Williams. Today’s race was probably more unrewarding than rewarding, but things can go well. Sometimes things don’t work out.”
“The degradation was severe on Friday, so there were a lot of doubts about how to overcome it today, but in the end we did it.”
Fernando Alonso’s Thoughts on the Race
“I’m happy with today’s result. I took advantage of some action in the last laps and managed to get 6th place. It was a bit of a lonely race for me, without competing with anyone. I managed to keep up with the flow around me with a one-stop strategy and managed to hold my position against the guys chasing me from behind. However, it was a tough race with no time to relax. All the stops went well and I’m happy to end the weekend in Baku with some points.”
Category: Formula 1 / Fernando Alonso / F1 Azerbaijan GP / Aston Martin F1 Team