Alex Riberas (Aston Martin): “The car has reached a milestone”

Alex, what a beautiful day for Aston Martin Friday at Fuji: two podiums in the first two practice sessions. This circuit seems to suit the car perfectly, doesn't it?

Yes, it's a very good feeling. This is our strongest Friday of the year so far. We had already seen signs of performance in Austin, especially in the dry, but it was difficult to know if it came from the track or if the car had actually improved. Today, on a different track, we clearly see that the car has taken a step forward. It's much more enjoyable to drive, and the team is doing an incredible job to continue to evolve it throughout the season.

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What do you think makes this circuit favorable to your car?

It's a very fluid track, except for the last sector which gets narrower and more technical. On paper, we didn't know if it would suit us. In reality, you never really know how far the car can go, because it evolves a lot. For the moment, it's working well, but it's only Friday. We'll have to see tomorrow and especially Sunday.

In Austin, the pace was excellent but the result was disappointing with a double retirement. How did the team experience it?

Honestly, it was still a positive weekend. Yes, we could have done better, maybe aimed for a top-five finish. However, our goal isn't just a top-five finish, but to build a strong program. Austin especially showed us our progression and that the team was getting stronger. This gave us a lot of momentum and motivation for the future.

Was it possible to play the top 5 in Austin without the rain?

I think so, because our pace in the dry was really good, but we'll never really know because we couldn't compare the long runs. The main thing is to learn. The engine failure was a disappointment, but it allowed us to identify an area for improvement. If we hadn't had this problem in Austin, perhaps it would have come at a much more critical time, like at Le Mans.

Precisely, was this engine failure due to the fact that you were pushing the car too much?

No, it was purely rain-related. It was the first time we'd ridden a full race in the rain. Water brings dirt that accumulates in the radiator, and that caused overheating. Both engines overheated because of that.

It might rain again on Sunday. Is that good news or bad news for you?

After Friday's performance, I prefer the track to stay dry. At the same time, if it rains, it will be a new opportunity to learn, because we have very little experience in the rain.

What do you think of the performances of the other manufacturers at the start of the weekend?

It's hard to say at the moment. Peugeot looks very strong, Porsche also, and I think that Toyota will be formidable here, especially in front of his home crowd. We'll have all the answers on Sunday.

Interview by Valentin Glo, in Fuji.

Saturday, September 27
2h50 - EL3 (FIA WEC TV, YouTube and AUTOhebdo)
7h20 - Qualifications (FIA WEC TV)