Fernando Alonso has had enough of the current qualifying mode in Formula 1 and is calling for a new system to be introduced. During qualifying in Singapore there was once again a lot of discussion about the topic of traffic because many drivers were loitering in the last sector to leave room for the car in front.
Alonso has had enough of that. Although the FIA has repeatedly used regulations such as a maximum time, for the Spaniard all the ideas that the association comes up with to solve the traffic problem are pointless.
“Whatever they do, we will find a way around this rule,” he says. “You have a difficult job managing traffic on a street circuit and I have said many times that there is only one solution: an individual time trial. We can test all other solutions, but they will never work.”
The current qualifying format with Q1, Q2 and Q3 has existed since 2006 – long enough for Alonso now: “This format is obsolete, I think. It’s been the same for 20, 25 years now, but the cars are no longer the same,” he says .
“We have hybrid engines, we have to charge, we have to cool the tires – so the only way forward is through one lap,” said the Aston Martin driver.
However, the current format seems to suit Alonso, because in 2023 he is the only driver who made it into Q3 in all 15 qualifying sessions – including in Singapore, where he ended up in seventh place.
Alonso is annoyed: missed opportunity
“It was difficult for us all day,” he complains. “We weren’t competitive in the third practice session, and then we made some changes to the set-up in qualifying. The car improved, but only up to seventh place.”
But that’s not enough for Alonso when he thinks about the fact that both Red Bulls were already stuck in Q2. “You have the feeling that you have missed a chance for your position,” he says angrily.
Alonso admits he had higher expectations before the weekend: “I thought Singapore would suit our package and our car,” he says. But after training it was clear to him that getting into Q3 could be difficult. “So seventh place feels okay,” he says. “It was one of my best qualifying laps this year.”
Aston Martin falls behind
But the car simply didn’t work anymore. He lacked stability when braking. And when he looks at the FIA document that shows the upgrades of the other teams in Singapore, it becomes clear to him that Aston Martin is still missing something in this regard.
“This is a very important year for Aston Martin. We are in a very competitive position, but we still need to improve as a team in many areas. We are learning day by day,” he says.
The form of Ferrari, against which Aston Martin is fighting in the World Cup, is likely to be particularly worrying. In Monza they lost third place to the Scuderia, and in Singapore they are in danger of losing further ground. Because while Lance Stroll had to start last again, Ferrari took positions one and three.
“They were very fast in the last two races,” Alonso has to admit. “At the moment they are too fast for us, but there are still a few races ahead of us. It’s like the Tour de France, there are 22 stages, there are 22 races for us, not just two. They have a lot of points brought, but for us it counts in Abu Dhabi.”