The two-time world champion Fernando Alonso had a fantastic start at the much-awaited Las Vegas Grand Prix. In the wake of a shortened FP1, the drivers made their way back to the track for the second practice session. While the Spaniard was consistent with incredible speed on the track, other drivers including the reigning world champion Max Verstappen lagged at Nevada. Alonso finished third after Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
In a video that came to light, Alonso was driving ahead of Sainz who hit a drain cover which caused significant damage to the engine, Energy Store, and Control Electronics, as well as the survival cell. It was observed that the drain cover was left unnoticed by the Aston Martin driver and Carlos had to take the blow. This random incident saved him from a grid penalty which was handed down to the Singapore Grand Prix winner.
Engineer: “Yellow flag. I don’t know what the problem is.”
Moments later:
Engineer: “What did you see on that back straight?”
Fernando: “Nothing.”
He was aware of something but not knowing what and then saying it was nothing, his instincts to avoid that nothing is incredible. https://t.co/pMUTUuH6CI
— Ky (@FiftyBucksVT) November 17, 2023
When talking about the Vegas track, Fernando Alonso said, “It is an interesting circuit for sure. With a lot of very different corners and these long straights, which at night the tires, they lose temperature a little bit. So, the braking zones are interesting and [it is] a little bit random what grip you will get.” The Silverstone-based team had a fulfilling weekend as Lance Stroll too finished eighth.
Fernando Alonso admits ‘very cold’ conditions at Las Vegas GP
The highly anticipated race at the Sin City was projected to be one of the chilliest races on the calendar. The scary possibility of very low track temperatures testing the Pirelli tires’ performance was a subject of concern. According to Soy Motor, Fernando Alonso too, harbored his own set of expectations as he approached the race weekend. The weather suggested that the track was extremely frigid, which would make it difficult to keep grip.
📰: Fernando Alonso welcomes F1 spectacle in Las Vegas but suggests reducing the race weekend schedule for such events. Disagreeing with Verstappen, Alonso sees value in adding extra showmanship, provided it balances with reduced schedules elsewhere. Charles Leclerc supports the… pic.twitter.com/vK0ZTCYA0j
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) November 16, 2023
As per the Spanish driver, “This will also be affected by the low temperatures, in which we are not used to competing this year. It is the opposite of Qatar, for example. We want to finish the season strong with as many points as possible. It’s true that we are all thinking about 2024, but we want to make sure we go into next campaign in the best possible position and with momentum on our side.”
As race time approached, the weather forecast hovered around 55 Fahrenheit, with lows plunging to approximately 44 Fahrenheit. Regardless, Alonso had a clear goal in mind, which is to achieve the best possible results during the weekend for the team in order to set a standard for the upcoming season as the ongoing one is nearing its end.