Team Talk - Sunday in Melbourne's Albert Park

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso

"It was a challenging race today with the wet conditions and I was a little unlucky in the end. I was battling inside the top 10 and felt like I was in the mix with others around me. I drove the same line at Turn Six, but there was some gravel there which caused me to lose control. There are some weaknesses in the car that we need to tackle, but if we execute a good weekend then it looks like we can score points this season. We get to have another go next week in China."

Lance Stroll

"That was a super tricky race, so it's good to come away with some big points for the team. I'm happy with that, for sure. We knew from the start that it was about staying on track and being on the right tyre at the right time, and we did that today. It's always a real balance of risk versus reward in these changing conditions. You've got to stay clean and consistent. The team made a great call bringing me in for the Intermediate tyres towards the end of the race. They were across the forecast and we made up positions because of it. The car still isn't where we want it to be – we've got to keep pushing for improvements – but that makes it even more important to make the most of opportunities like we did today."

Andy Cowell - CEO & Team Principal

"Eight points for Lance is a great way to start our season. Conditions were incredibly challenging for everyone, but he delivered an excellent race to navigate his way to sixth place [from P13]. He maximised every opportunity and did not put a wheel out of place all race. Our strategy calls from the pit wall were strong and it was a great team performance. We had a solid opportunity to score with both cars today, but Fernando was unlucky with some gravel on the exit of Turn Six sending him into the wall on lap 33. This result gives us a nice boost as we head to China, but it's clear we need to work hard to improve the car for the long season ahead of us."