Ramirez: The success of Aston Martin is like a breath of fresh air

Joe Ramirez is already over 80, and almost all his life he was somehow connected with motorsport and Formula 1. For 18 years, among others, the Mexican veteran worked as a McLaren team coordinator and worked with stars such as Niki Lauda , ​​​​Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard.

He now lives in Spain, is still actively interested in everything that happens in the world of Formula 1 and shared commentary on the start of the season with the AS newspaper after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Q: What are the main conclusions you came to after watching the first race? What surprised you?

Joe Ramirez: Certainly the progress of Aston Martin. I foresaw such a thing, because a huge amount of money was invested in the development of the team, it was supplemented by many excellent specialists, although we know that this does not always give the desired effect.

When they showed excellent speed in testing, the doubts remained, but the team proved that they have really made a huge step forward. Fernando Alonso had a great race, but Lance Stroll didn’t let us down either. Aston Martin’s success is like a breath of fresh air for Formula 1, it’s another team that can challenge the Big Three.

Q: What can you say about the overtaking that allowed Alonso to get ahead of Lewis Hamilton?
Joe Ramirez: Overtaking was excellent, we witnessed a great duel between two phenomenal racers. Fernando got ahead of Lewis, he bounced back, but then the Spaniard was able to beat him anyway, and in an incredible way. I really enjoyed overtaking, it is maneuvers like these that make Formula 1 an exciting spectacle.

Q: Alonso turns 42 this year, but he is in great shape and finally has a competitive car at his disposal. Do you think he has chances for a third title?
Joe Ramirez: I hope it’s there. If Aston Martin continues to progress at this pace and Fernando stays with the team for a few more years, then he can achieve this. The team is on the right track.

At Red Bull, especially Helmut Marko, they criticize her for copying their car, but Formula 1 has been arranged that way for a long time. In addition, Alonso is now at an advanced age. When Alain Prost retired, he was also 41 years old, and then he was at the peak of his form. I am a witness and have seen everything.

Now the same is happening with Alonso. Fernando drives better than ever, and in this case his experience is more important than age.

Q: Can Aston Martin win the race this year?
Joe Ramirez: Quite likely, considering how things are now. In addition, prior to the race on circuits that are not best suited for Red Bull, Aston Martin can benefit from the situation that the race is held in the rain or accompanied by other special circumstances. And then Fernando’s skill and experience will fully manifest.

I wish Alonso, my friends who work at Aston Martin and all Spanish fans good luck.

Q: But so far no one can beat Red Bull Racing?
Joe Ramirez: Correct. Unless, of course, the equipment breaks down and the team’s riders don’t have any accidents. They are now in another galaxy and the next race will be held in Saudi Arabia on a circuit where Red Bull can show excellent speed.

Their car handles fast corners very well and they will have a noticeable advantage in Jeddah. We can add that thanks to the rivalry between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, the team will develop even faster.

Question: What makes Red Bull Racing so strong?
Joe Ramirez: First of all, efficient aerodynamics, but in addition, the team makes almost no mistakes and achieves excellence in almost all areas. Pit stops at Red Bull are perfect. Aston Martin will not easily rise to this level.

Q: Which team would you put second in terms of potential?
Joe Ramirez: Apparently Ferrari, because they have a fast car and a good engine, but reliability is not all right and they make tactical miscalculations. Something is constantly happening to them, but if Maranello can handle all this, they will be second behind Red Bull.

But we must not forget about Mercedes, although their business is not going well so far. This team has a strong structure, great drivers, and in four or five races they will make themselves known, that’s for sure.

Q: But your beloved McLaren is still in a dire situation…
Joe Ramirez: It remains only to regret it. They are too slow to upgrade their car. Even in my time, when the team started developing a new chassis, we were always late. Ron Dennis personally wanted to check everything down to the last detail and in the end it turned out that we didn’t have time to properly prepare for the start of the season.

Question: If someone wants to bet money on a third Max Verstappen title, how safe is such an investment?
Joe Ramirez: The safest bet is on Max. In modern Formula 1 he has taken on the same role that Ayrton Senna once had. Red Bull is a great team, they have a very fast car and even Adrian Newey – all this makes Max almost invincible. Sergio Perez is also a good racer, but he doesn’t have the championship leanings that his partner has.