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Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Aston Martin F1 Boss Breaks Silence on Lance Stroll's Form After Injury
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Aston Martin Racing CEO and Team Principal Andy Cowell has offered his verdict on the situation that unfolded before the Spanish Grand Prix, when pain in Lance Stroll's wrist caused him to miss out on the race. The event led many to speculate on the cause of the injury, and whether Stroll's alleged bad temper had caused it. While the Canadian driver took part in qualifying in Barcelona, securing a P14 starting position, he withdrew from Sunday's Grand Prix. Now, Stroll is all set to participate in his home race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, leading Cowell to talk about Stroll's enthusiasm to get back in his car. Speaking to the media in Canada, he said: Lance Stroll of Canada and Aston Martin F1 Team walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. Lance Stroll of Canada and Aston Martin F1 Team walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain."I think we have to respect the fact that all the drivers are ultra competitive and elite athletes. And the competitive nature means that they want to drive, they want to be in the race, they want to see the 5 red lights go out and have the experience of the 310 km race, and I've got a huge admiration for all the drivers and that competitive spirit and you see that across the whole team. "Nobody wants to miss a race. But when, for medical reasons, things get too much and you've got to stop, and that was the situation on Saturday in Barcelona. "But let's think positively and look forward to the determination to get back in the car. The steps that have been taken, and these are steps that Lance has wanted to do, to quickly get into the factory and work with the engineers, work on '26. "Get in the simulator, take priority in the simulator over the tests that were going on, and then get to Paul Ricard and drive the car hard there and then come for this race weekend. Hats off to that journey." Stroll had suffered from broken wrists ahead of the 2023 F1 season in a cycling incident, for which he underwent surgery. However, he continued to feel the pain until the race weekend in Barcelona. When Cowell was asked for further details on why the problem wasn't addressed much earlier, he said: "We have to respect everybody's medical privacy in situations like that. "I think you know Lance is a determined racer. He was the most upset that he wasn't driving Sunday in Barcelona, and he has been the most determined person in the whole team to make sure that he's here this weekend." Revealing Stroll's recent days that saw him test at Circuit Paul Ricard, Cowell said: "I've been super impressed with the Lance has got stuck into the journey. "He's been in the factory a couple of times, working with people both on this year's championship and next year's championship, having lunch with Adrian, catching up with him on his thoughts on where we are as a team and where we're moving forwards. And then going to Paul Ricard like you say before and having run in the simulator in the factory beforehand. It's been a busy few days, but everything's gone exceptionally well."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lance Stroll's bizarre Canadian GP press conference: dour, defensive, and disconnected
It was an extraordinary press conference. The kind that left even the greenest of journalists shaking their heads in disbelief at what they had just witnessed. Lance Stroll's performance in the pre-Canadian Grand Prix press event was as unconvincing as it was baffling. Advertisement As he spoke about the presumably optimistic news of being passed fit for his home race, he did so with all the joy of learning that his pet dog had been put down. The Canadian trudged up the stairs to the press room in Montreal like he was on a trip to the dentist for root canal work, where he plonked himself down in front of the media. Instead of beaming and being delighted to be back and fit enough to compete in his home race after being forced to sit out of the Spanish Grand Prix due to a wrist injury, he was incredibly dour in his responses. He was cagey with the details of the wrist problem, cited as the reason he withdrew from the Spanish GP after a disappointing qualifying session. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin team boss, Andy Cowell, had also remained tight-lipped on the medical procedure Stroll underwent - as of course is his right - so all we knew is it was the consequence of the cycling accident he had in the pre-season of the 2023 season. Advertisement 'It's just the old injury that I had with it a couple of years ago. Just started to bug me again and, yeah, just got it sorted,' said Stroll when asked to explain the procedure. And how confident was he that now he had undergone the treatment that there would not be a recurrence of the problem? 'Pretty confident. Should be good,' was all he said in reply. It is never easy dealing with a private medical matter in a public forum, but in this instance, it is unusual for a driver to be so candid. He was flippant over other vague questions too. He was asked: 'Just out of interest, when did you first come to the circuit Gilles Villeneuve?' It was a classic soft-soaping from the moderator, surely he'd bite and show some passion for his home race? Advertisement 'A long time ago,' was the monosyllabic reply. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing; Zak Mauger Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing; Zak Mauger It was increasingly difficult to watch, but perhaps the biggest takeaway was that he did not deny he threw a tantrum after his disappointment in qualifying. Reports had suggested that he broke items in the team's garage and swore at a team member. When asked, he said: 'Yeah, I was frustrated. Frustrated about my wrist in the last three races and it was just inhibiting my driving. I knew that Sunday was going to be tricky, probably impossible, and at that point I was pretty frustrated about it.' There was at least some passion, then. It would be good if we could see some of that from time to time. Photos from Canadian Grand Prix - Thursday Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber James Sutton / Motorsport Images Alex Albon, Williams Alex Albon, Williams Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Alex Albon, Williams Alex Albon, Williams James Sutton / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Zhou Guanyu, Ferrari Zhou Guanyu, Ferrari Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Carlos Sainz, Williams Carlos Sainz, Williams Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Oscar Piastri, McLaren Oscar Piastri, McLaren Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images Laurent Mekies, RB F1 Team Laurent Mekies, RB F1 Team Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images George Russell, Mercedes George Russell, Mercedes Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Franco Colapinto, Alpine Franco Colapinto, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Andy Cowell, Aston Martin Racing Andy Cowell, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Andy Hone / Motorsport Images George Russell, Mercedes George Russell, Mercedes Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Franco Colapinto, Alpine Franco Colapinto, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Zhou Guanyu, Ferrari Zhou Guanyu, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Andy Stevenson, Sporting Director at Aston Martin F1 Team Andy Stevenson, Sporting Director at Aston Martin F1 Team Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Pierre Gasly, Alpine Pierre Gasly, Alpine Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Pierre Gasly, Alpine Pierre Gasly, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team James Sutton / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team James Sutton / Motorsport Images Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Carlos Sainz, Williams Carlos Sainz, Williams Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Pierre Gasly, Alpine Pierre Gasly, Alpine Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Carlos Sainz, Williams Carlos Sainz, Williams James Sutton / Motorsport Images Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Read Also: Timing of Lance Stroll's late F1 Spanish GP withdrawal explained To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lewis Hamilton adamant that Fred Vasseur will lead Ferrari to F1 glory
Despite sitting second in the constructors' championship, Ferrari has made an indifferent start to the season and currently sits 197 points behind leaders McLaren. Vasseur's position in the team has been subjected to scrutiny, but seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari last winter, is adamant that he is the 'person to take us to the top'. Advertisement Speaking ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton said: 'It's definitely not nice to hear that there are stories like that that are out there. Firstly, I love working with Fred. Fred's the main reason I'm in this team and I got the opportunity to be here, which I'm forever grateful for. And we're in this together. We're working hard in the background. 'Things aren't perfect, but for me, as I said, I'm here to work with the team, but also with Fred. I want Fred here. I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top. And so that's that. 'It's ultimately nonsense what people have written. Most people don't know what's going on in the background. It isn't all easy. It's not like it's all the smoothest sailing in the background. 'We are having to make changes, and it's a lot of work to do. And there is naturally a lot of pressure because we want to win. But that's not any part of the discussion at the moment.' Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari Hamilton was asked a second time about the logic in replacing Vasseur, while he also addresses speculation about his own future in the team. Advertisement Hamilton doubled down on his support for Vasseur and insists that he is in for the 'long haul' with Ferrari. He added: 'It takes time to adjust, and the impact that has is significant, so yes, that's not part of the discussion. 'I'm here to win with Fred, and he has my full support, and then also to all the others, everyone that's writing stories of me considering not racing, and I mean, I literally only just started firstly here with Ferrari. 'I'm here for several years, and I'm here for the long haul, so there is no question about where my head's at and what I'm working towards achieving with this team, so there are zero doubts, so please stop making up stuff.' Advertisement Hamilton finds himself in sixth place in the drivers' championship and is hoping that this weekend's race in Montreal delivers an uptick in results and he adjusts to working with his new team. He said: 'It [the situation in the team] looks a lot worse outside than it probably is on the inside. Even just coming from engineering now, how they set the car up compared to any other year that I've been here, it's completely different. 'There's a certain way they like to work. To say, 'hold on a second, that doesn't actually make sense'. 'So getting those things, consistently working with the team and making sure you're working in a constructive way to make changes.' Photos from Canadian Grand Prix - Thursday Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Alex Albon, Williams Alex Albon, Williams Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Alex Albon, Williams Alex Albon, Williams James Sutton / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Zhou Guanyu, Ferrari Zhou Guanyu, Ferrari Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Carlos Sainz, Williams Carlos Sainz, Williams Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber James Sutton / Motorsport Images Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Oscar Piastri, McLaren Oscar Piastri, McLaren Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images Laurent Mekies, RB F1 Team Laurent Mekies, RB F1 Team Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images George Russell, Mercedes George Russell, Mercedes Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Franco Colapinto, Alpine Franco Colapinto, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Andy Cowell, Aston Martin Racing Andy Cowell, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Andy Hone / Motorsport Images George Russell, Mercedes George Russell, Mercedes Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Franco Colapinto, Alpine Franco Colapinto, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Zhou Guanyu, Ferrari Zhou Guanyu, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Andy Stevenson, Sporting Director at Aston Martin F1 Team Andy Stevenson, Sporting Director at Aston Martin F1 Team Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Pierre Gasly, Alpine Pierre Gasly, Alpine Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Pierre Gasly, Alpine Pierre Gasly, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team James Sutton / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team James Sutton / Motorsport Images Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Carlos Sainz, Williams Carlos Sainz, Williams Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Pierre Gasly, Alpine Pierre Gasly, Alpine Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Carlos Sainz, Williams Carlos Sainz, Williams James Sutton / Motorsport Images Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images To read more articles visit our website.
Belfast Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
We've made huge strides as a team to be in contention at 24 Hours of Le Mans: Charlie Eastwood
Preparations for the Fourth Round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will get under way on Sunday, with all teams taking part in two three-hour practice sessions. It is the only extended non-timed running they can take advantage of around the famous Circuit de la Sarthe before free practice on Wednesday and then qualifying later that day. After the 2024 edition, Eastwood said he was 'super proud' of his team's efforts despite a chronic lack of straight-line performance starving them of real LMGT3 action. At the end of almost 270 laps and 2,260 competitive miles, they crossed the line 15th in class. However, considerable work has been going on behind the scenes since then to hone and improve Corvette Racing's TF-Sport-run LMGT3 challenger – the Z06 GT3.R – with most of the engineers' focus centring on Le Mans, the blue-riband meeting on the WEC calendar. Eastwood – a class winner at the Le Mans when he was part of the Aston Martin Racing family back in 2020 – continues his partnership with Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy. 'Both Rui and Tom are driving incredibly well,' said Eastwood. 'We love the car, and we are able to extract speed out of it. 'So, from our side, when you look at the line-up, we are pretty strong in that regard. 'We didn't have a great race at Le Mans last year, but as a team and a car, we have made huge strides in lots of areas so, hopefully, it can play into our favour. 'We haven't had the performance or results on our side, but the thing I am really hopeful about is that as a crew, as a team and as a Corvette programme, we're executing some really good races. 'With the energy side of things, we will probably have 27 pit-stops. Our guys have become super quick at tyre changes and the strategy has been very good in the last few events. 'When you add that up across 26 or 27 pit-stops, versus just four during the course of a race, it can really make a massive difference in the pitlane.' The LMGT3 grid is growing for Le Mans from 18 to 24, with a third Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG and a third Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R just two of the extra cars joining the permanent FIA WEC line-up.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Revealed: Aston Martin's F1 issue forcing Fernando Alonso to 'invent' overtakes
In Fernando Alonso's first Formula 1 season with Aston Martin, 2023, he claimed six podiums in the first eight races and was running third in the championship. The pickings have been more barren since then and in the Spanish Grand Prix – the ninth round of 2025 – he picked up his first points of the season. Lance Stroll had scored all of Aston Martin's points until then – a humble 14, drawn from the first two rounds. Advertisement Read Also: Adrian Newey: Lance Stroll is 'much better than people give him credit for' Heads have already rolled in Aston's technical department last season and the AMR25 car has not started the season well, seeming to have a fundamental problem with race pace. Stroll's tendency to qualify poorly and then pick up positions partially masks a trend of the car being slower on Sundays than it is on Saturdays, though the only time this season he qualified inside the top 10 (at Imola) he finished 15th. Alonso, though, has reached Q3 three times and only just got a return in the form of two points (and it would have been one but for Max Verstappen's penalty). A notable feature of the first and last rounds of this latest triple-header has been his tendency to overtake at unconventional points on the track, usually via a sneak attack. Advertisement 'We lacked top speed, so on the straights we were losing a lot,' he said in Barcelona. 'I didn't make a single overtake under DRS. They were all made in Turn 3 on the outside, which is not a normal place to overtake, but we have to invent these kinds of moves. 'Also in Imola I was out of Turn 7 when I made three overtaking [moves] in the last few laps. So we need to solve this situation and start overtaking on the straight with the DRS like everyone [else] does.' Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images 'We need to improve a little bit our straightline speed and also the [tyre] degradation. As I said, Saturdays are quite competitive and Sundays we seem to take a step back. Advertisement 'So happy for today for sure, first points, good Safety Car at the end, good timing and things. But if we go back on Thursday and we redo the weekend, we need to change something on the car to be a little bit more Sunday-biased than Saturday-.' Alonso can be relied upon to highlight his own contributions to a result with the enthusiasm of a carnival barker. But both he and chief trackside officer Mike Krack alluded to the car being under-balanced, with too much understeer. It's common for teams to set up their cars to have an understeer balance at circuits such as Barcelona because the rear axle is the critical one, and some understeer can help protect the rear tyres. But when asked by if the problem was caused by dialling in too much understeer, Alonso's answer was an unequivocal 'no'. Among Aston's challenges last year was that most of the performance upgrades added to the car didn't generate the expected result. While the AMR25 is the product of the previous design leadership, at Imola a new floor and bodywork package represented the first definitive output of the latest regime and the new wind tunnel. Advertisement It was never going to be worth half a second a lap, but CEO and team principal Andy Cowell talked about it in terms of a lab experiment to enable to stress-test its tools and procedures. What's becoming apparent is that the car has a weak front end – i.e. understeery – but it isn't doing a great job of thermally managing its rear tyres either, and at the same time it is relatively drag-inefficient. The combination of slow straightline speed and indifferent tyre management is a killer on Sundays. Lack of aerodynamic efficiency is killing the AMR25 on two fronts: it's slow in a straight line, but the team can't just cut downforce because the car will slide more, making tyre performance worse. 'The difference between the qualifying and the race is quite simple,' said Krack after the Barcelona race. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Advertisement 'In qualifying you put new tyres, new tyres, new tyres, new tyres. You mask a lot of the problems that the cars are having. 'This is not only for our car, this is for all the cars. That is also why you see the small gaps in qualifying. Because all the weaknesses the cars are having are being covered by the new tyres, by the new rubber. 'As soon as the tyres become two laps, three laps, four laps old, the weaknesses become more and more. That is why you see that the cars in the front are just going. That is why the field is spreading so much.' Noticeably, Aston Martin has been 'scrubbing' its race tyre sets – essentially giving them a short run, usually during practice, to put a heat cycle through them. The process of bringing the tyres up to working temperature and then cooling them again changes the visco-elastic properties of the rubber. Advertisement It would be overly simplistic to say this improves grip and life characteristics on a linear scale, but there is a belief it can make the tyres less sensitive to graining and thermal degradation. Peak grip is lower, but the aim is to make the duration of the peak longer. Aston Martin's chief tyre performance engineer Jun Matsuzaki has been regarded as a key asset for many years and has been with the team since its Force India days, when he helped Sergio Perez become a 'tyre whisperer'. Before that he worked for Bridgestone. It was Matsuzaki who first worked out that Pirelli's rear tyres in 2013 could run longer stint lengths when mounted in the opposite direction they were designed to rotate. So it's unlikely that Aston's performance deficit is being caused by not getting the best out of the tyres in terms of trackside operations. It's a question of mechanical and aerodynamic design. Alonso, for one, seems to believe the team now has a handle on the problem: 'I think we know what is happening…' Read Also: F1 Spanish GP analysis: Red Bull forced McLaren to unleash its full potential To read more articles visit our website.
