“It's long-term”: Fernando Alonso reveals Aston Martin’s main focus is developing the 2024 F1 car

Aston Martin F1 driver Fernando Alonso recently stated that the team's main focus is to develop their 2024 car.

Just like several others, the British team also tested out some new bits during the FP1 session at Silverstone on Friday, which Alonso later revealed might be used for next year's car. Given Aston Martin's resurgence this season, everyone, including the two-time world champion, is hopeful that they can get closer to fighting for wins and championships.

As per Mundo Deportivo, Fernando Alonso said:

“The focus we have is not on race. It is long-term. Even yesterday, Friday, the entire FP1 was dedicated to the 2024 car. Just to say a little where the head of the whole team is right now. Saturday is difficult to know. It is true that Sundays have been our strong point and this Sunday I am confident that we can come back, but I can't tell you if we are going to finish in the top 5, the first 7, or if we are going to go backward in the race."

He added:

"There are many things to see. But I'm not worried. We have had 10 races, 10 times in Q3 and I would have signed it. And Tomorrow we will see how it ends, that in Austria it also seemed that everyone was flying and we ended up ahead of them scoring more points, so... this does not mean that we are not aware that we lack performance today, compared to the first 4 or 5 races. That is obvious and we all see it. But we are working on it." [Translated by Google]

Fernando Alonso analyzes his qualifying performance at Silverstone

It was a disappointing qualifying session for Fernando Alonso at Silverstone; he will start the race from P9 on Sunday. The Spaniard believes he could have finished eighth but that the top seven was "unreachable."

He said:

“I probably lost a tenth in turn 7. Because throughout the time trial, they were telling me that everyone was doing turn 7 on the inside and I had a lot of oversteer and I always made it a little longer, I lost more meters but I had more stability. And in Q3 I tried to hit it from the inside as everyone was doing, apparently, and I had a whiplash in which I surely lost a tenth."

He added:

"Then when I saw the times, I think we could have passed Alex Albon, so maybe eighth was the best. But the top 7 were a bit unreachable today. So that's more or less where we were supposed to be, eighth or ninth."

It will be fascinating to see how Fernando Alonso goes about the race on Sunday and whether he can finish in the top five.