Fernando Alonso remains tuned into the rhythm of Formula 1, acknowledging that Red Bull currently operates on another level but insisting that the gap is gradually shrinking across the season. The Spaniard is upbeat about the upcoming double-header in Austria and recalls moments from the early races where he finished a solid distance behind Max Verstappen in Barcelona and closed in to under ten seconds in Canada a couple of weeks later.
“We’ll need to wait and truly assess on different circuits with varying setups to understand how close we can get. For now, the difference seems to be specific to each track”, Alonso explained during a Thursday press briefing at the Spielberg circuit, which is owned by Red Bull. He noted that Canada’s weekend went well for the team, and he hopes they can further close the gap in the coming races.
“We’ve had very distinct feelings over the last two races, so we’ll wait for tomorrow’s practice to see how the car behaves on this track and whether we can stay competitive. The Canadian round was influenced by rain and was shorter, limiting our testing options. Here, we’ll likely have a similar constraint with a smaller window for testing, but we aim to maximize the improvements within the package”, Alonso added.
Alonso and Aston Martin are focused on Austria, a campaign that has seen them climb back to second place in the constructors’ standings after briefly ceding it to Mercedes following the Spanish Grand Prix. When the Asturian joined Lawrence Stroll’s team earlier this season, he did not expect to notch six podiums in the first eight races, yet that is the mark he and the team achieved. Alonso sits nine points behind Sergio Pérez, the current runner-up in the Drivers’ World Championship, keeping the title fight tightly wound.
“The challenge against Ferrari and Mercedes is more compelling for us this year. Red Bull appears to be in a different league, but our goal remains to collect strong results with both cars every weekend and keep pace with the front-runners, which is still hard to believe sometimes”, he remarked. On the eve of his second sprint weekend of the season, the two-time Spanish champion presented a fresh take to the FIA. He argued that the sprint format is useful: it adds drama when weather shifts, centers attention on a single driver for television, and offers value for sponsors without overcomplicating the schedule. The approach, he suggested, could bring the action to life in a way fans and partners will appreciate.