This forum contains threads to discuss teams themselves. Anything not technical about the cars, including restructuring, performances etc belongs here.
This result was possible due to incredible tyre wear, bit of luck and on point strategy for once. Alonso could only take advantage of other faster cars getting stuck behind Sainz because of the tyre management. So it's kudos to the new chassis improvements.
Now for the engine, improved potential will only be realised in 2-3races. Hopefully the fully optimised car + pu would give us more points finishes on merit.
I get the feeling that people don’t totally realize how fast Alonso was and how good the race execution was on Alonso side.
Yes luck is always a factor, but Alonso made his own luck and the result was a combination of Alonso’s ability, very low tyre deg some good strategy calls from the team.
I doubt even Alonso himself realized how good or decent his pace was today after getting out of the car.
IMO only after a complete analysis of the race lap by lap would make him fully realize his potential today.
After rewatching the race through live timing lap by lap I concluded (this is just my opinion) that the race pace was near AUDIs and RB territory.
Not certainly better that AUDIs and RB but much much closer than most ppl think.
The way the race unfolded masked the true pace of Alonso, especially in the first half of the race.
The final positions (of the best of the rest group) had mostly to do with tyre deg flexibility and on which driver managed (through starting position and strategy) to do the most laps on free air, than stuck behind another car dictating his pace while unable to pass.
I can write down the analysis along with all the key points of Alonso race but it would be a very long text.
My take on the race, after my research on lap times and strategy of the Middlefield teams, is that AMR pace today was a lot closer to AUDIs and RB than most people realize and after analyzing this race, in my eyes, AMR on Alonso’s hands will be the 5th fastest team very soon.
And by saying very soon I mean in the next 2 to 5 races.
I find it really difficult with that momentum, and with the B-spec car and upgraded engine on such early stages, and with all the things that are coming in the next races (weight reduction, aero upgrades, setup refinements, engine software refinements, drivability and deployment improvements etc, I find it really difficult not to get ahead of AUDI and RB in the next 2-5 races no matter what AUDI and RB do.
