Alonso welcomes 'another strong start' in Jeddah

Fernando Alonso was happy to keep the Aston Martin momentum rolling into the second race weekend of the 2023 season in Saudi Arabia.

Aston had been the surprise package of the opening race weekend in Bahrain, which saw Alonso confirm his strong pre-season test pace by getting onto the podium following big battles with Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz.

The concern for the team was whether the AMR23's pace would translate from Bahrain to Jeddah, two very different types of circuit. On Friday's evidence, it's passed the test with flying colours.

• Read also: Verstappen stays top in second practice, Alonso edges Perez

Alonso finished the day second fastest overall, just two tenths off Max Verstappen's pace and ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.

“It has been a strong day for us as we continue to learn about this car," Alonso said. "We knew that Jeddah would present different challenges to Bahrain and it is almost like a second test here for everyone this weekend.

"Friday is always not very representative," he pointed out. "In Bahrain we were okay, like P1 on Friday, and then we were P5, nearly P6, in qualifying.

"So you never know until we go to qualifying, but we tested what we wanted to test in the car," he said. "Overall the day went smoothly for us.

"We are trying to optimise the setup and adjust to the high-speed nature of this circuit," he continued. “I think it is still not an ideal balance, so we still need to chase a little bit of grip tonight.

"We have a lot of data to analyse as usual for a Friday and we will continue to look at everything tonight and into tomorrow. Our main goal will be to reach Q3 again."

Asked where he felt he ranked after today's sessions, Alonso admitted: "I have no idea. I just drive the car, and in qualifying I'll see where I am.

"Obviously there is a lot of free practice, a lot of days between races, a lot of data to analyse and a lot of predictions and estimations. That's the beauty of F1.

"But for us drivers, it is difficult for us to read anything in free practice," he shrugged. "But yeah, so far so good. It's another good start."

Alonso's team mate Lance Stroll provided further proof that the car was doing well well again this weekend. He was fourth quickest in FP1, and seventh in the evening session.

"I think it will be a pretty tight session; all the teams around us look competitive and closely matched," said the Canadian, who missed pre-season testing after undergoing season for hand and wrist injuries sustained in training.

“It is always fun driving around this track. It is high-speed and high adrenaline; I think we all enjoy the challenge. The team had a good day of running, trying lots of different things, and it has given us plenty of data to analyse.

"We will use this evening to learn as much as possible and do our best find more performance ahead of qualifying," he added. "Our aim tomorrow has to be Q3.”

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