Fernando Alonso speaks out about Ferrari’s ‘luxury’ advantage before the Miami Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso has shared his thoughts about what he calls a “luxury” that only Ferrari has, which could really affect the Miami Grand Prix.
Today was tough for Alonso in qualifying, as he finished 18th in Q3 with his Aston Martin. While he’s still facing challenges with the AMR26, he spoke out about Ferrari having an advantage before tomorrow’s big race.
With rain and thunderstorms expected for the Grand Prix, Alonso’s comments about Ferrari might turn out to be very important. He pointed out that Ferrari got to do special wet tyre testing with Pirelli, something his team can’t do. He thinks this could make a big difference if the race happens on a wet track.
His teammate Lance Stroll will start just behind him in 19th place, with only a few drivers behind them. Alonso also worries that Aston Martin’s speed isn’t great for the race.
He told DAZN, “Changing conditions don’t really help us. We don’t have much pace, wet or dry. Only Ferrari gets to do private wet tyre tests with Pirelli, and we don’t have that luxury.”
During the recent Formula 1 break, which happened because of conflict in the Middle East, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton took part in a private wet tyre test with Pirelli. This helped Pirelli gather important data by using Ferrari’s Fiorano track with artificial watering for consistent wet conditions.
There’s talk that they might start the Grand Prix earlier to avoid the bad weather, but we’ll see if the race is wet and if Alonso’s concerns turn out to be true.
It’s been a tough day for Aston Martin at the Miami International Autodrome, with Alonso and Stroll finishing 18th and 19th. Still, Alonso has now beaten Stroll in qualifying 40 races in a row. He’s chasing the record held by Michael Schumacher, who qualified ahead of his teammate 56 times in a row from 1992 to 1995.