P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Fernando Alonso believes Aston Martin is still “lacking three-tenths” compared to McLaren and Mercedes despite progress in Formula 1’s Saudi
Alonso had a strong qualifying performance in Bahrain, starting sixth, but dropped to ninth in the race, mentioning that he had pushed the car’s limits in qualifying. Despite securing fourth place on the starting grid in Jeddah, he expressed worries about Aston Martin’s race pace. He was pleased with finishing in the top five during the race but felt the car was not as competitive on high fuel as it was on one-lap speed. Alonso acknowledged that they still lagged behind Mercedes and McLaren in terms of pace during the race. Concerns about tire wear arose as he questioned the team’s strategy during a Safety Car period. Despite a close call with Sergio Perez in the pit lane, Alonso was relieved that both cars avoided a collision.
