Fernando Alonso: We need three training sessions in Mexico City

At a press conference in Mexico City, Fernando Alonso did not hide his joy that the coming weekend will be held according to a standard schedule without a sprint. The Aston Martin driver said the team needs three free practice sessions to properly study the effectiveness of the technical innovations presented in the final stage.

Fernando Alonso: “During a sprint weekend we only have one practice session, so there is a risk that we cannot optimize everything in the car. Friday’s training in Austin proved difficult for us due to problems with the brakes. So we decided to change the settings before the race to better optimize the car, but this meant we had to start from the pit lane.

The team managed to earn points and receive useful information about the operation of new products. Moreover, not all competitors probably got the most out of their cars, which also played into our hands. We took the opportunity to change the settings to make our Sunday better.

I can’t say we know for sure how to set up the car in Mexico as the local track is not the same as Austin. This weekend we have three training sessions available after several stages with sprints, so that we can relax a bit – the team is happy that we have so much time at our disposal to prepare. Everyone will be playing on a level playing field, but we really need those three practices.”