Fernando Alonso “I wasn’t expecting to be in Q3 or finish seventh at the weekend,” he admits in Abu Dhabi, adding, “I will have a hard time finishing fourth in the World Championship, I might even finish seventh.” .” The Asturian, who has 200 points with Sainz, Norris (195) and Leclerc (188), thinks Ferrari and McLaren are currently a long way from Aston Martin in terms of performance, but warns: “I don’t care how it happens, it ends in the Championship, what matters is “I wouldn’t feel competitive in 2023. I’ll stick to that and the podiums.” he emphasized after qualifying in Abu Dhabi.
In one way or another, Alonso hopes to show off in final race of seasonFerrari, which will bid farewell to its first season at Aston Martin with a very positive balance, said: “We finished seventh, better than expected. Fourth? Ferrari is once again in the top three with Leclerc, with a tremendous advantage.” We have our car now. I’m going to end this year on a good note, but I think I’ll finish seventh in the drivers’ race tomorrow because Norris and Leclerc will pass me. I’m preparing for this and if it exists. improvement, okay, but little change happens, But I will remember 2023 not for my place in the World Cup, but for my arrival here. Aston Martinfor podiums and to feel competitive. “The Brands World Cup is important because there is money for the team,” he summarized.
“Lando starts ahead of me and the McLarens are going very fast, so I think I will lose position with him in the Drivers, but what interests us most is the Constructors,” said Fernando. Aston Martin currently sits 11 points behind McLaren in the fight for fourth place, and Alonso knows things have to get complicated if they are to unseat Norris and Piastri. “The McLarens are starting third and fifth ahead of us and I think if this is a normal race we don’t have much to do.” “Of course, if there’s a slightly crazy race with a safety car, crashes, we’ll try that.”
Realistic, Fernando explained “I wasn’t expecting the third quarter. We made some changes in our Free Practice 3 after a very short Free Practice 2 last night. We were worried, this morning we finished 14th and 15th and in the first quarter I was fifteenth after the first lap, so I thought Saturday would be difficult. However, we made progress with the improvement of the track and gradually gained grip. My confidence is growing with each session, so seventh place is a good result. Adapting to the rapid development of the track here is a whole art. and switching from worn-out soft tires to a new set means a lot of mixed reactions from the car. Classification is complex. “I think tire failure will make tomorrow a race for survival, hopefully there will be some chaos,” he said.