The Debrief by Aramco: Qatar GP
We leave Qatar with more points after a physically demanding Grand Prix on Sunday night.
Fernando finished sixth and Lance 11th under the lights amid the intense heat at Lusail International Circuit.
Friday's Qualifying session set the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix, with Fernando lining up fourth and Lance 16th – both on used Mediums. For safety reasons, every driver was limited to 18 laps on any set of tyres, which essentially mandated a minimum of three stops for every driver over the 57-lap race.
On Lap One, the Safety Car was deployed for a collision between the Mercedes. Lance took the opportunity to pit for a new set of Medium tyres on Lap Three, with the caution ending one lap later.
Fernando's first stint ended on Lap 11 as he swapped for another set of used Mediums. In the second stint of the race, Fernando ran as high as third, and Lance as high as fifth.
Lance boxed for a new set of Hard compounds on Lap 21 and Fernando followed suit on Lap 26. A run through the gravel at Turn Two on Lap 34 left Fernando's car with damage, which compromised the rest of his race.
After pitting for a new set of Mediums on Lap 39, Lance received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, with another penalty incurred as the race neared its conclusion. He finished 10th in hot and exhausting conditions, but was demoted to 11th for track limits infringements.
With his final stint beginning after a stop for new Mediums on Lap 44, Fernando finished sixth, adding eight more points to the one he earned in Saturday's Sprint.
Our attention now turns to the 2023 United States Grand Prix, which hosts the fifth Sprint of the season and begins a triple-header of races in the Americas.
Read what Fernando, Lance and Team Principal Mike Krack said after the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
Sunday
#14 Fernando Alonso | Grand Prix
"It was an extreme race today with the hot conditions and perhaps one of the toughest we've faced. We also had an issue with the seat being very hot from around Lap 15, which made it quite challenging.
"We were competitive though and I'm happy to finish sixth after a few weekends where we didn't have the pace.
"We finished ninth in Monza, eighth in Japan and here I felt like we were in the mix.
"Perhaps as a sport we can think about some measures in the future if we experience these extreme temperatures again."
#18 Lance Stroll | Grand Prix
"We finished ninth on track today, with track limit penalties demoting us to 11th.
"It's disappointing not to take any points away having raced so hard in such physically demanding conditions. The temperatures we faced out there were extreme – more so than any other event – and there are lots of tight corners here so you're constantly battling the g-forces.
"There are positives to take away though; the car had more pace today and the team made some good strategy decisions with the regulated tyre constraints.
"The team in the garage did a great job in such challenging conditions, too."
Mike Krack, Team Principal
"We scored important points today, but it was not an easy race with the intense heat and tyre strategies available to us.
"They were tough conditions to go racing in and we saw all the drivers needing to hydrate after the race.
"I don't think there was much more available to us in terms of the overall results. We had a good opening stint and the strategy calls were the right ones.
"Fernando suffered with some floor damage after a trip through the gravel, which made it difficult to stay ahead of Charles [Leclerc].
"Lance had a good recovery from his starting position and was on track for points without the post-race time penalties.
"It is clear we need to find more performance and our full attention is on doing that for the upcoming races."
Saturday
#14 Fernando Alonso | Sprint Shootout & Sprint
"We prioritised tomorrow’s race with our tyre choice in tonight's Sprint and we managed eighth after the penalty for Charles [Leclerc].
"It was quite exciting with all the on-track battles, but the Soft tyres were not ideal towards the final few laps with high degradation.
"We don't know how many pitstops there will be tomorrow, so we need to keep our strategy open. We've saved a few sets so hopefully we can maximise this and target the top five positions.
"Congratulations to Max [Verstappen] for his third Drivers' Championship; he's dominated the season and deserves it."
#18 Lance Stroll | Sprint Shootout & Sprint
"It was a tough Sprint race today. The temperatures were extremely hot and we had really high tyre degradation out on track.
"The opening few laps were fairly good and I managed to pass Valtteri [Bottas] during that phase, but I was losing grip quickly after that so we couldn't make much more progress.
"We chose to box during the third Safety Car and put on a set of used Softs, but we were running out of laps and Yuki [Tsunoda] was defending hard.
"We're taking a lot more data into tomorrow's race, so we'll review that tonight and see what's possible."
Mike Krack, Team Principal
"There was a mix of tyre choices across the field, which created plenty of action and drama in tonight's Sprint.
"Both drivers delivered solid races and we managed to score a point with Fernando in P8.
"Sunday is the priority, though, and the work we have done today leaves us well placed to score more points tomorrow."
Friday
#14 | Fernando Alonso | Free Practice & Qualifying
"I am very happy with qualifying in fourth position for Sunday's race, after a few weekends where we weren't as competitive.
"It was very tricky to manage with the slippery track and windy conditions.
"The car felt fast in FP1 and it felt good again later in Qualifying.
"It's only the first step and we have the Sprint tomorrow, so let's see what we can do as there are points available on both days."
#18 | Lance Stroll | Free Practice & Qualifying
"It was a disappointing Qualifying session today.
"My first lap was deleted due to track limits and I had to abort my second due to traffic, so I had a big job to do for my final run.
"The car felt okay, but we just didn't have the pace. We've got another opportunity to go again tomorrow, and learn what we can ahead of the Sprint events."
Mike Krack, Team Principal
"Some strong laps from Fernando this evening to put us fourth on the grid for Sunday's race.
"Sprint event Fridays are always challenging, especially on a dusty circuit with a lack of reference data.
"The track was evolving and improving a lot. Full credit to the team in Silverstone and trackside for dialling the car in so quickly.
"Unfortunately, Lance did not progress from Q1. He had a couple of laps deleted for track limits which put him on the back foot and stopped him progressing."
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