The Spaniard labelled his AMR23 as “undriveable” after the race on the Marina Bay circuit final weekend, as he struggled to seek out any efficiency all through Sunday’s grand prix.
It was solely after the grand prix, nonetheless, that Aston Martin realised the extent to which Alonso’s efficiency had been hit by a broken entrance suspension shroud, which had come unfastened on lap two and rotated side-on to disturb the automotive’s aerodynamics.
Talking forward of the Japanese Grand Prix, Alonso didn’t provide any particular particulars about how a lot lap time the issue price him, however mentioned it defined why issues regarded so unhealthy.
“Positively it was not serving to,” mentioned the Spaniard. “We all know how a lot it affected [us], and we is not going to share, however it was vital.
“So I am a little bit bit much less apprehensive concerning the efficiency in Singapore after understanding the injury that we had.
“The tempo was not the true one within the race and, with out that, possibly we may have adopted the practice of the leaders and have much less issues with the Alpine after which with [Sergio] Perez. Then every little thing could be modified after.
“Whenever you’re not too quick, you get into numerous issues.”
Whereas one risk for the reason for the suspension drawback was Alonso operating over particles from Yuki Tsunoda’s opening lap conflict with Perez, Alonso wouldn’t reveal precisely what occurred.
“It’s a non-public factor,” he mentioned.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Workforce
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
No disappointment in undertaking
Alonso’s struggles on the Singapore GP, the place he finally completed fifteenth, come within the wake of an equally tough time on the Italian GP the place he ended up ninth.
These outcomes are a far cry from the shape that Alonso and Aston Martin confirmed firstly of the season when it started the marketing campaign as Pink Bull’s important challenger.
However regardless of having had only one podium end for the reason that Canadian GP, with a second place within the Netherlands, Alonso is obvious there isn’t a sense of frustration or disappointment concerning the place Aston Martin finds itself in proper now.
“In no way,” he mentioned. “I am extraordinarily pleased with the undertaking.
“Additionally in tough races like Singapore or Monza, all our debriefs, all our conferences with the manufacturing unit, they’re very productive. It’s the weekends that we be taught extra within the season.
“So the steps that we plan forward for the long run, or for subsequent 12 months once we come to these races, are simply enormous.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Workforce and Sebastian Vettel
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“I by no means noticed that type of scale when it comes to concepts and issues on the desk. So the motivation that the crew has to turn into a high crew and the assets and the dedication is simply excellent. I am very glad.”
He added: “We now have to simply accept that everybody right here [in F1] has a really excessive degree. Everybody has nice designers, nice crew, wind tunnels, all these sorts of issues.
“After we take into consideration our wind tunnel that can be constructed subsequent 12 months, and we have now excessive hopes, many of the high groups, they’ve that wind tunnel already for just a few years. So we’ll simply degree their capability.
“We’re simply now down. That is one thing that we have to have our ft on the bottom [for] as effectively.”