Fernando Alonso set the fifth fastest time in F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Friday practice. Having been able to transform his success in Qatar into a powerful pace, Alpine F1 feels that he has found a “sweet spot” in the setup.
Fernando Arront and his teammate Esteban Ocon finished their second free run on Friday in 5th and 6th place. It seems to maintain the speed shown in Qatar two weeks ago.
Fernando Alonso admits he’s surprised that Lewis Hamilton’s FP2’s Ben Remark time was only 0.423 seconds, and says he’s set up the car the way he wants at this point.
“The car still feels good,” Fernando Alonso told Formula1.com after practice.
“Recently, we’ve found a bit of a sweet spot in performance and setup, and we’re still working on it.”
“I think there are still too many unknowns for tomorrow. I’ve done a lot of testing, but I need to analyze more data than any other Friday.”
The Jeddah Cornish circuit is praised by drivers for its high average speed and difficult corners. Lando Norris, in particular, said he could hit the wall “if he blinks at the wrong time.”
Fernando Alonso has the same impression.
“I think it was very similar to the simulation we did. Even the time laps were a good match,” said Fernando Alonso about the circuit itself.
“I wasn’t surprised on the track, but I’m running between the two walls at this speed, so it’s definitely a very spectacular lap.”
“Any mistake can have big consequences, so we have to be careful and it wasn’t an easy day for everyone.”
Given how narrow the course is and the fact that it is surrounded by walls, there was concern about the possibility of overtaking in Jeddah.
Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner admitted that the circuit was narrower than expected, but Fernando Alonso needs to wait for what races will take place in F2 before making a decision. I think there is.
“It’s clear that we’re concerned about overtaking opportunities, and I think F2 is a good reference for us,” said Fernando Alonso.
“It’s going to be difficult because it’s a street circuit. I think qualifying will be very important and I think F2 will tell us if it’s going to be a good show on Sunday.”
Category: Category: F1 / Fernando Alonso / Alpine
