Alonso on panic after ‘boring’ Suzuka race: “F1 has always been like that”

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso thinks Formula 1 observers should calm down a little after last weekend’s Suzuka race left media looking answers on how to improve the racing.

Following an already tepid Chinese Grand Prix, Japan’s Suzuka race was hampered by a lack of action as the circuit’s demanding layout meant dirty air made it tough for cars to race each other closely, and a lack of tyre degradation also cancelled out most strategic opportunities. Other than Lewis Hamilton passing Isack Hadjar early doors, the remaining drivers in the top 10 finished in the same position they started from.

But according to Alonso the clamor around F1’s lack of overtaking is being overplayed as this year’s F1 cars are still “very far away” from the 2021 generation, which he labelled the worst cars of his career in terms of dirty air.

“Formula 1 has been always like that,” said two-time world champion Alonso, who managed to keep the faster Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda at bay for most of the Suzuka race for 11th. “Sometimes you watch a race from ’86 and there is one stop, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. And maybe the first two cars are 45 seconds away from the third car.

“Now we are in constant search for more overtaking, more pitstops, [bringing] all the teams closer together. And there are other beautiful categories to search and to watch that. This is Formula 1 and we have to love it as it is.”

Alonso thinks the huge media attention around the series hasn’t helped either. “I think less media will be my [solution],” he added.

“Honestly, it’s not your fault. It’s just the amount of press conferences we do; fan forums, more questions after FP2, our team’s own social media debriefs and then qualifying and the race. When you multiply that for 20 drivers plus team principals, I think we talk too much.”

Photos from Bahrain – Thursday