Singapore GP
The Debrief by Aramco
Our stellar points-scoring run of 16 weekends, stretching back to 2022, ends on a demanding Sunday in Singapore.
Singapore ended up being a testing weekend for us; it will serve as a catalyst to rebound and rebuild as we take on the final seven races of the season.
Lance did not participate in the Grand Prix after his Qualifying crash, with his attention set on preparing to race in Japan.
Fernando's unyielding efforts to score points were dashed by a five-second penalty for crossing the white line on pit entry, after which he fell to 17th and finished 15th at the chequered flag.
Having begun the race on Medium compounds, Fernando pitted for a set of Hard compounds during the Lap 20 Safety Car. Six laps later, he became the first Formula One driver to complete 100,000 kilometres in racing conditions.
For much of the post-Safety Car period, Fernando was stuck behind Sergio Perez and, in an attempt to pass the Red Bull, he lost a place on Lap 37.
On Lap 45, Fernando served his five-second penalty in the pits during a Virtual Safety Car, but the resulting pitstop for a used set of Softs didn't go as planned as the rear jack did not attach properly. Fernando was put on the back foot and, amid high temperatures, a subsequent lock-up compromised him further.
There are more opportunities for us to learn, develop, and score points: our attention turns to next weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.
The Grand Prix
Read what Fernando and Team Principal Mike Krack said after the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
#14 Fernando Alonso
“It was an extremely tough evening: everything that could go wrong did go wrong for us.
"It's better that it happened all in one hit – and let's not forget it's actually our first non-scoring race of the entire season. We came here with pretty high hopes, but Singapore is quite a unique event – race pace is really dictated by the temperature of the tyres – and maybe we went a little bit too hard.
"There are lot of things we need to investigate from this weekend – there's plenty to take away and improve. We need to get better.
"Let's just forget about this weekend and focus on the next one in Suzuka."
Mike Krack, Team Principal
"It has been a really tough couple of days for the team in Singapore.
"We only raced one car today and we look forward to seeing Lance back with us in Japan.
"Fernando's race came undone during the Virtual Safety Car when the rear jack did not engage properly during the pitstop. We need to analyse exactly what happened.
"Even without this issue, scoring points would have been difficult today. We will move on and learn from these difficult days.
"There is a lot of work ahead of us: we must understand where we can find more performance. There is still a long way to go this season – seven more races with plenty of opportunities and points available.
"A final word of recognition to the crews here in Singapore, especially the mechanics, who worked long hours in challenging conditions all week. Thank you to everyone.“