Fernando Alonso started 2024 with a ninth place in the Bahrain GP. The Spaniard predicted that he would end up in that position before starting the race and he was right. “The first race is always a little special, because you don't know where everyone is. It's a race to discover things. The simulations give us P9 – ninth position -, so I hope to achieve something better than that,” said the Asturian shortly before to start the Bahrain Grand Prix. And he nailed it.
The Asturian He started the season with a real bath of reality and did not hide his doubts regarding the potential of his AMR24. Despite the great expectations that had been unleashed after the tests and qualifying, the reality is that the Aston Martins lacked the rhythm to compete. And not only against Red Bull, which started the season with the same dominance as it ended it, but also against Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren.
«It's time to improve. “Yesterday's return put us in a situation that was not reality, being so high up, but today we have already seen reality.”commented a disappointed Alonso in statements to DAZN, after finishing ninth and being overtaken by three drivers during this Saturday's race at the Sakhir circuit, in Bahrain.
Bahrain showed that the Spaniard's car is still light years away from Red Bull, but also from Ferrari, Mercedes and Mclaren. The British team asks for patience and Fernando Alonso is confident that improvements will come this weekend at the Saudi Arabia GP.
However, The Asturian believes that the important thing will come in the second part of the year and for this he will have a star signing who can be a plus for his dream comeback. And once again, lThe green team has fished in the troubled waters of Alpine to strengthen the team and take a leap in quality after being the surprise on the grid last season.
He already made Alonso champion
Bob Bell, who served as technical director at Renault when Fernando Alonso became world champion in 2005 and 2006, has signed for Aston Martin, where they will once again work hand in hand with the Spaniard, as announced by the British team.
“I have been impressed by the progress of Aston Martin Aramco over the last few years. The opportunity to play my part in that journey is incredibly exciting and I look forward to working with the great technical leaders at Silverstone. The scale and ambition of this project is very motivating. I am very motivated. looking forward to playing my part with Mike (Krack, team manager) and the rest of the team,” declared the Briton who will have overall responsibility for technical, engineering and performance functions.
Krack was very excited by the news where he highlighted the experience of the engineer and He stressed that it is a piece to ensure that they are “optimizing” everything they do as a team.
“I am delighted to welcome Bob Bell, his track record in the sport speaks for itself and his experience will help us continue to take steps forward on the exciting journey we are on. This is a key appointment to ensure we are optimizing everything we do as a team and focusing on the right performance areas,” said the team principal.
Key to optimizing AMR24
Bob will bring a wealth of experience having held senior technical positions at McLaren, Renault, where He won the World Championship twice with the Asturian at the wheel, and Mercedes GP in an illustrious automobile career in the last four decades.
Bob Bell is a British engineer with a long and successful career in Formula 1. He studied aeronautical engineering at Queen's University in Belfast and came to F1 in 1982 with McLaren. Since then, he has worked for several teams, highlighting his work as technical director in the glorious era of Renault when Fernando Alonso became World Champion in 2005 and 2006.
Bell is one of the technicians with the most experience in the design and optimization of single-seaters, although he also participates in the development of engines and aerodynamic systems. A signing that gives wings to Fernando Alonso and It will be key to enhancing a car that does not quite convince.