The Debrief by Aramco: Las Vegas GP
Lance recovers from P19 to P5 with a stellar drive under the sparkling lights of Las Vegas, while Fernando shrugs off a spin to take more points.
The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix provided plenty of action – with Lance playing a starring role – on Saturday night.
Lance qualified 14th but started the race 19th with a grid penalty. He began the race on Soft tyres and made up places amid numerous incidents at Turn One, for which a Virtual Safety Car, and then a Safety Car, was deployed.
Fernando started the race in P9 on Medium tyres but spun down the inside of Turn One, which led to front wing damage.
Both of our drivers pitted during the early Safety Car for Hard tyres, and, when the pit window opened up for other drivers around Lap 17, our drivers were well into the top 10.
Another Safety Car was deployed for debris on track on Lap 26, during which Lance and Fernando pitted again – for Medium tyres.
Our drivers patiently made their way back into the top 10 and, with others taking their second stops during green flag conditions – and post-race time penalties being applied – Lance finished fifth and Fernando ninth.
We earned 12 more points in Las Vegas, and we enter the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi with a total of 273 points.
Read what Lance, Fernando, and Team Principal Mike Krack said on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Saturday
#18 | Lance Stroll | Grand Prix
"That was a fun race!
"I gained 10 positions in the first corner with a lot of other drivers going wide, moving up from P19 to P9, so it immediately felt like it was all to play for.
"From that point, we were on the front foot and attacking throughout the race with a quick car.
"We made some good strategy calls, pitting under both Safety Cars, and then I was able to pass a few cars into Turn One to secure P5.
"It was a great track to race at and I'm pleased we were able to put on a good show for the fans."
#14 | Fernando Alonso | Grand Prix
"I am happy to come away from this race weekend with some points.
"Especially since I was facing the wrong way after the incident at Turn One at the race start.
"We made the most of the Safety Car and then gained some places back.
"Overall, I thought the racing was fun tonight and there were some great battles on track.
"There was quite a lot of graining and low levels of grip, but as a sport we will take a lot of learnings for racing in Las Vegas next year.
"We head to Abu Dhabi and will give it our all in the battle for fourth position in the Constructors' Championship."
Mike Krack | Team Principal
"I think Las Vegas truly delivered on the hype with a very entertaining race this evening.
"Aston Martin certainly played its part in putting on a great show for the fans and both Lance and Fernando were in the thick of some great battles.
"We went into the race with a good understanding of the tyres and the strategy team made excellent calls today.
"Full credit to Lance to recover from the back of the grid to take two consecutive fifth places.
"He had a very strong race and made the most of an early switch to the Hard tyres to secure good track position. From there, he delivered one of his best races of the year with strong pace and important overtakes.
"Fernando recovered well from the opening lap incident to score a couple of important points too.
"I thought the circuit produced some really good racing today, alongside all the spectacle – so well done to everybody involved in delivering this Grand Prix."
#14 | Fernando Alonso | Free Practice Three and Qualifying
"We are quite happy to be in Q3 and we will see what we can do from ninth tomorrow.
"I was happy with both of my laps in Q3 and we finished about half a tenth from seventh position, so it was all very tight.
"Coming here we thought this circuit might not suit our package as much, especially with the high straight-line speeds.
"The venue here is impressive and they have done a good job with that.
"I think the only issue for us has been the asphalt, which doesn't have that much grip, so perhaps that can be looked at for the future. But, so far, it's been fun racing in Vegas."
#18 | Lance Stroll | Free Practice Three and Qualifying
"I felt pretty good in the car today and was happy with my final lap, but I think we were just lacking a bit of straight-line speed in Q2.
"That can end up being the difference between being knocked out and progressing to Q3 when the field is so tight.
"Tomorrow's race is going to be tricky given my grid penalty, but our pace is good in the corners, and I think we can manage our tyres well.
"We'll make the most of the situation and enjoy racing around the streets of Las Vegas."
Mike Krack | Team Principal
"We are enjoying learning this new Las Vegas circuit, and it has produced a very tight grid, with small margins making the difference in Qualifying.
"It was a challenging session with a rapidly evolving track and cool temperatures, which made tyre warm-up especially important.
"The first race at this exciting venue will be a step into the unknown, but I think we will put on an entertaining race for the fans.
"It is a circuit that should lend itself to overtaking and I'm confident both our cars will be in the fight for points."
Friday
#14 | Fernando Alonso | Free Practice
"This is a really interesting circuit with a lot of very different corners and long straights.
"At night, the tyres lose temperature a little bit so it's interesting going into the hard braking zones.
"This could make for a fun race with overtaking opportunities. Let's see tomorrow if we can optimise things.
"We had a decent first day but we still need to work on a few things, as does everybody. Let's see tomorrow when we extract more potential from the car.
"I think it's going to be very tight in Qualifying and the race."
#18 | Lance Stroll | Free Practice
"This is a fun, fast circuit. It's really cool to be in Vegas.
"The cooler temperatures are a bit of a challenge, for sure, with getting the tyres up to temperature – we'll see how it goes tomorrow.
"The field is tight but I think we were pretty competitive today, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
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