Fernando Alonso highlights the "enormous potential" of the Aston Martin in qualifying

As expected, the Aston Martin did not see Q2 of the Australian Grand Prix, after particularly difficult winter testing, hampered by numerous mechanical problems on the new AMR26. Lance stroll was unable to take to the track during qualifying, leaving Fernando Alonso the full responsibility for the results of the Silverstone team this Saturday.

And the Spanish driver defended his chances perhaps better than expected, finishing Q1 in seventeenth place, one spot away from qualifying for Q2. A situation that was clearly helped by the absence of Stroll and Sainz in qualifying, and by exiting Max Verstappen which left the Dutchman without a time. Nevertheless, even beating the Cadillacs didn't seem a given for Aston Martin considering Friday's free practice sessions, and this gives the Spaniard hope.

"We probably could have bet as early as Friday that we wouldn't make it out of Q1, and we almost succeeded."Alonso told the official website of the Formula 1. "There has clearly been progress since the first day. We haven't made many changes to the car, so that leads me to believe the potential is enormous. Without changing anything on the car, we were able to gain several seconds between FP2 and qualifying."

For the two-time world champion (2005 and 2006), this proves that driving remains the best antidote to the problems currently facing Aston Martin. While many parts have a fairly low level of reliability structurally, driving allows for a better understanding of the car as a whole, and therefore unlocks several seconds in terms of pace.

“We gained those seconds simply because we were running, we were on track at the same time as the others. Reliability is really hindering the car's potential, in my opinion; if you can't run continuously, you can't get the setup working. We had normal FP2 and FP3 sessions, so we were able to make big strides. We need to continue like this, and above all, the team needs to stay united during this difficult phase.”

Keeping cars "alive" for China

Unfortunately, this optimism for the future doesn't prevent Fernando Alonso from facing reality. With the Chinese Grand Prix fast approaching (as early as next week), the chances of reaching the finish line this Sunday in Melbourne are extremely slim, if not nonexistent…

“The more laps we complete in the race, the more we’ll learn. At the same time, we have to be realistic. We have few spare parts, as everyone knows, and we have another Grand Prix next week. The cars need to be ready to go to China and race there without spare parts. So we’ll have to keep a close eye on the situation, and at the slightest sign of a problem, we’ll have to stop because we need to keep the cars ‘alive’ for China.”

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