The Aston Martin driver began the Chinese language GP with only one set of recent hards and two units of recent mediums, so when he began the race on mediums and switched to his sole hards after 11 laps, he was left with out the technique flexibility of his rivals when the primary security automobile interval was triggered to recuperate Valtteri Bottas’ stricken Sauber.
As Alonso had no extra laborious tyres that may get him to the end – just like the six drivers that completed forward of him – Aston Martin swapped him to softs for the restart.
However, with over half the race to go, it dedicated Alonso to a three-stopper and he made a late pitstop for his second set of mediums. That cease dropped him from fifth to twelfth, however the Spaniard charged again as much as seventh and took the quickest lap bonus level.
“We did not have any extra laborious tyres – we had one gentle and one medium and 35 laps in entrance of us which, in our calculations, it was not attainable to make it to the tip,” Alonso stated.
“There have been loads of security automobile laps to take away the Sauber and, as soon as the security automobile got here in, extra security automobile laps as a result of they crashed.”
He added: “I felt quick however the positions weren’t wanting good after I was P10. It was troublesome and it was our solely technique to do.
“Nevertheless it was good to have the quickest lap, good to really feel the automobile quick. Now we have DRS this 12 months so it was very straightforward to overhaul. I practically crashed on the final nook, I used to be pushing my most.”
Aston Martin staff principal Mike Krack added that, attributable to excessive tyre degradation within the dash race, the squad was involved about making a two-stop technique work with one laborious and two mediums, so took the “danger” of the three-stopper.
“We thought, it is in all probability higher to make use of it – as a result of we had a brand new gentle remaining – to make use of that one,” stated Krack.
“It was a bit little bit of a danger. Then when the security automobile got here, or to say, this prolonged security interval – you might not make use of the gentle in that point.
“Then it was [about] limiting the harm. All in all, when you have a look at the tempo of the automobile, which was not ok within the race, the optimum outcome with out the security automobile would have been possibly sixth. Now we completed seventh with the quickest lap. Injury limitation.”
At the beginning, Alonso jumped Sergio Perez to take second place behind Max Verstappen however knew sustaining that place was unlikely attributable to Aston Martin being “the fifth-fastest staff” in China.
“Yesterday, the identical with Lewis [Hamilton], I used to be P2 when Lando went off and I stated ‘OK, I’ll attempt to lead the race for not less than one lap’. As we speak, I handed Checo and thought, ‘OK, I’ll do it once more’ however I had no selection or alternative,” Alonso defined. “Hopefully at some point quickly.
“The wind path modified this morning so in Turns 1 and a pair of it was a headwind. So I knew that if I used to be parallel to somebody in Turns 1 and a pair of, I had the chance to assault. I used to be very aggressive.
“Then, ultimately, you fall again to your pure place, which is ninth and tenth. We hold repeating the identical issues however we see each Sunday that we’re the fifth-fastest staff.
“However, for no matter motive, they [Aston’s rivals] do not put the laps collectively on a Saturday, we qualify in entrance of them after which there’s this combat each Sunday. Let’s see if we are able to enhance the automobile.”