"With these long straights" - Fernando Alonso bracing for a tough weekend for Aston Martin at the 2023 F1 Las Vegas GP

Fernando Alonso believes that the Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi circuits could suit them similar to the one in Brazil. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the inaugural night race in Nevada, the Spanish champion felt that the understanding from the next two races will benefit them for the next season.

Aston Martin are reported to have returned to their pre-Canadian GP spec car, which was competitive enough to clinch podiums. Having clinched a third place in Brazil, Fernando Alonso managed to beat Red Bull by millimetres. However, throughout the race weekend in São Paulo, the Aston Martin seemed as competitive as they were prior to the summer break.

Asked if they had unlocked some performance in Brazil, Fernando Alonso said:

“I think we have to wait and see a few races. I think here and Abu Dhabi will be as important as São Paulo for us in terms of understanding the car. I think Austin and Mexico were very painful but they were also very useful for the team in terms of understanding for next year's car as well. So yeah, let's see how it goes here. I think it's going to be a tough weekend. Maybe for us, with these long straights and so on. But yeah, I think here and Abu Dhabi, we'll hopefully see better performance.”

Asked if there were concerns about the temperatures, he said:

“I think we have to run first and then see how the car behaves and the tyre behaves. I think it could be that with this long straight, the tyres, they lose a little bit of temperature. So, we've been facing a little bit of tyre overheating on the last three events."

"And maybe here it’s a little bit the opposite. So, maybe some cars that they're struggling on long run pace, here they are good because they can keep the tyres in the window and things like that. So, I think tomorrow we will have some answers,” he added.

With Red Bull worried about the cooler temperatures and low grip, Fernando Alonso could have opportunities. However, when asked if they had unlocked performance at the weekend in Brazil, the Spanish driver was cautiously optimistic about their chances at the Las Vegas race, suggesting that the long speed straights and lower temperatures could suit them. He believes the next two races would have important lessons for the development of next year’s car.

Fernando Alonso felt that their car has had issues with tyre overheating in the last three races, so cooler weather could be in their favour. The Spanish driver also felt that the long straights at the Las Vegas circuit layout could suit them, as they have had some impressive straight line speed but struggled at the corners.

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Fernando Alonso believes that it will be imperative to learn and adapt in every session in Las Vegas

Fernando Alonso felt that the Las Vegas circuit, being a low downforce circuit, will pose its own challenges. Describing the preparation involved in the buildup through the weekend, the Spanish driver felt that building confidence with the car, particularly in the braking zones and setup would be imperative. The double champion felt that without any other track action, track evolution could play a big role.

Asked if there was any particular preparation going into the Las Vegas GP, Fernando Alonso said:

“A street circuit, very low downforce, just getting that confidence into the car, the braking areas. That will be, I think, very important. And I think with the condition on the track and not having any support races, I think the amount of track evolution during the weekend, it's going to be bigger than normal. So that, you know, will challenge everyone, I guess we will not have two laps the same on the weekend. Every lap of the track will be a little bit better than the lap before. From P1 to the last lap on the race. So, we will have to adapt to that changeable grip, so it's going be a challenge for everyone.”

In the battle for second place in the championship, Lewis Hamilton is currently 32 points behind Sergio Perez. However, Fernando Alonso could oust him from third place if the momentum from Brazil continues for Aston Martin in both Abu Dhabi and Las Vegas. The Spanish driver is only 28 points behind the Brit and top three finishes in both races could help him finish higher than his current fourth place in the standings.