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All I've heard from Alonso this spring is if he decides to run again, AMR would be his first choice. So I'm not sure where all the Alonso and Merc talk comes from. Plus I'm not sure TWolff is a big fan.
Alonso is just saying normal things out of respect. Wolff and Briatore were spotted together recently.
I agree. I dont think Alonso should move to Mercedes. Aston is growing up every year, building a lot, and Mercedes look like falling down. Personally i think Alonso should stay on AM and make a insanely plot twist with Honda in 2026. Marketing will be thankfull
Agree, the jury is also currently out on Merc- they remind me a little of McLaren 2011/12- there’s still some talented people there and still some clever ideas, they just aren’t quite putting it all together into a winning formula. Aston with their new facilities coming, Dan Fallows continuing to grow into his role, and a works engine, they are in as good a position as any really.
Lewis Hamilton has walked away from it- can it really be that good there?
Anyway, hopefully we see a strong start from Aston at the weekend, I think they are being overlooked and underestimated.
He’s even said Aston has been the one asking him everyday about his future compared to others.
After what happened with alpine.. and Lewis basically having the same thing happen to him at Merc I don’t see why Alonso would jump to a team that’s basically the same speed as its customers for another alpine situation.
They would have to show Red Bull beating performance soon to even get his attention. I think Aston with Honda and fully independent is just as good a bet as any for 2026 for Alonso.
Alonso has definitely been putting feelers out in the press. There was a quote about his supreme health indicating that age related fears should be ignored. He said similar things when he was negotiating with Alpine and it was obvious they were unwilling to commit for a longer term. Either he hasnt got an extension offer from AM or hes pushing to negotiate a longer term. Honda always wants their own guy in the team so 2026 was always going to dicey anyway. Toto's animosity with Alonso was always Mercedes based. Of course he was also one of Lewis' biggest fluffers. Normally them working together would seem highly unlikely but Ron Dennis and Alonso worked together after spygate so anything is possible in F1. I can only see it happening if Toto is secretly butthurt over Hamilton's move and wants to prove a point to him.
Aston was hiding over these 3 days. Some already said that they fell behind a bit, but in the last hour they pulled out the big guns (with the long run).
You could see on the faces of Krack and Fallows afterwards (in the media talk) that they were relieved. Maybe they surprised a little bit themselves (with the long run).
He (Schmidt) could imagine a funny fight between PER, Ferrari and Mercedes, maybe AMR behind VER this week.
Aston was hiding over these 3 days. Some already said that they fell behind a bit, but in the last hour they pulled out the big guns (with the long run).
You could see on the faces of Krack and Fallows afterwards (in the media talk) that they were relieved. Maybe they surprised a little bit themselves (with the long run).
He (Schmidt) could imagine a funny fight between PER, Ferrari and Mercedes, maybe AMR behind VER this week.
So by that logic he thinks they could start the season as best of the rest, but ahead of McLaren.
Aston was hiding over these 3 days. Some already said that they fell behind a bit, but in the last hour they pulled out the big guns (with the long run).
You could see on the faces of Krack and Fallows afterwards (in the media talk) that they were relieved. Maybe they surprised a little bit themselves (with the long run).
He (Schmidt) could imagine a funny fight between PER, Ferrari and Mercedes, maybe AMR behind VER this week.
So by that logic he thinks they could start the season as best of the rest, but ahead of McLaren.
Aston at race simulation by miles ahead of McLaren. Aston at c3 had same tyre deg as Ferrari and c1 even was faster Aston as Ferrari. So I don't know why everybody saying Aston struggled at middle sector.
Aston was hiding over these 3 days. Some already said that they fell behind a bit, but in the last hour they pulled out the big guns (with the long run).
You could see on the faces of Krack and Fallows afterwards (in the media talk) that they were relieved. Maybe they surprised a little bit themselves (with the long run).
He (Schmidt) could imagine a funny fight between PER, Ferrari and Mercedes, maybe AMR behind VER this week.
So by that logic he thinks they could start the season as best of the rest, but ahead of McLaren.
Aston at race simulation by miles ahead of McLaren. Aston at c3 had same tyre deg as Ferrari and c1 even was faster Aston as Ferrari. So I don't know why everybody saying Aston struggled at middle sector.
Because Aston Martin didn't do a race simulation with Alonso
So by that logic he thinks they could start the season as best of the rest, but ahead of McLaren.
Aston at race simulation by miles ahead of McLaren. Aston at c3 had same tyre deg as Ferrari and c1 even was faster Aston as Ferrari. So I don't know why everybody saying Aston struggled at middle sector.
Because Aston Martin didn't do a race simulation with Alonso
Even if he didn't do a race sim, he did the same thing as Verstappen and he wasn't far behind in race pace.
Verstappen didn't do a race sim either.
They both did long stints with probably medium to heavy load. Not full heavy load.
Even if he didn't do a race sim, he did the same thing as Verstappen and he wasn't far behind in race pace.
Well, obviously he was doing a similar long run as VER, but that doesn't mean he had the same amount of fuel in the tank unfortunately. 10 kg more or less are 3-4 tenths a lap and would draw a different picture.
Teams have GPS data and some days to study, I think they pretty much know now how fast everybody was.
Aston at race simulation by miles ahead of McLaren. Aston at c3 had same tyre deg as Ferrari and c1 even was faster Aston as Ferrari. So I don't know why everybody saying Aston struggled at middle sector.
Because Aston Martin didn't do a race simulation with Alonso
Even if he didn't do a race sim, he did the same thing as Verstappen and he wasn't far behind in race pace.
Verstappen didn't do a race sim either.
They both did long stints with probably medium to heavy load. Not full heavy load.
You mean both drivers did 3 long run stints with a certain amount of fuel and a certain engine mode
But we don't know those fuel levels and engine modes
Aston was hiding over these 3 days. Some already said that they fell behind a bit, but in the last hour they pulled out the big guns (with the long run).
You could see on the faces of Krack and Fallows afterwards (in the media talk) that they were relieved. Maybe they surprised a little bit themselves (with the long run).
He (Schmidt) could imagine a funny fight between PER, Ferrari and Mercedes, maybe AMR behind VER this week.
I would treat every performance speculation as click bait unless it's backed by some data or technical analysis. Unfortunately, face reading falls short of that criteria.
It's a very important first half of the season for Aston. They must demonstrate to Alonso that their project is as interesting if not more than Mercedes and it's not going to be easy. Admittedly I previously thought it was going to be easier right after Hamilton left Mercedes but it seems they aren't too bad.
So far most things point towards Aston not being right at the sharp end of their group, they for sure have a better idea than us of their whereabouts at the moment. Regardless, they must prove to Alonso that they've figured it all out compared to last year and that things will be on the up from now on. He will be paying attention to every detail, pitstops, strategy and all other operational tasks must improve. Upgrades must work. Obligatory. Then , probably when we get closer to the summer, he will make his choice. I do hope he stays.
Last edited by KimiRai on 27 Feb 2024, 16:29, edited 3 times in total.
It's a very important first half of the season for Aston. They must demonstrate to Alonso that their project is as interesting if not more than Mercedes and it's not going to be easy. Admittedly I previously thought it was going to be easier right after Hamilton left Mercedes but it seems they aren't too bad.
So far most things point towards Aston not being right at the sharp end of their group, they for sure have a better idea than us of their whereabouts at the moment. Regardless, they must prove to Alonso that they've figured it all out compared to last year and that things will be on the up from now on. He will be paying attention to every detail, pitstops, strategy and all other operational tasks must improve. Upgrades must work, it's a must. Then , probably when we get closer to the summer, he will make his choice. I do hope he stays.
I hope he goes to the fastest car available. It is the only thing worth doing in this late part of his career.
James Allison was saying mercedes and Ferrari are on par but was impressed with Alonso pace on long runs. So he said Alonso might be on the mix with them.
About Alonso moving to Mercedes don’t think it is sure. Mercedes have to prove a lot this year. The only way i see Alonso moving from AM at the moment. It is if Redbull second seat was offered to him. If not i think he has better chances with Fallows than Allison with whom he worked already at Ferrari and couldn’t give him a winner car. Also if Newey is out if Redbull. Alonso will finish his last years at AM