Alonso labels nightmare Singapore GP “a race to forget”

Alonso didn’t finish in the top 10 for the first time in F1 2023, classifying 15th at the chequered flag.

The Spaniard’s race took a turn for the worse when he cut the pit lane under the Safety Car, picking up a five-second time penalty in the process.

As he served the penalty later on in the race, a slow pit stop ruined his chance of scoring points, dropping to the back.

He then had a trip down the escape road in the final sector, cementing a shocking weekend for the team.

“It was a difficult race," Alonso said after the race. “Obviously we didn't have the pace that we were hoping for.

“[There were] too many mistakes going into the pit lane, slow pit stop, traffic all in one race. A race to forget, but as I said only one race. That's the good thing. 

“Hopefully, we can get rid of all these bad things, learn from those and get better in Japan.

“We killed the tyres very quickly after the pit-stops. So it was a tough race.”

Aston Martin expected a strong Singapore Grand Prix as their car has tended to flourish on high downforce tracks.

Before his slow second stop, Alonso was overtaken by the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, and didn’t have the pace to stick with the lead group.

“We need to look at the details,” he added. “Obviously, we don't have the answers yet, but we need to get better for Japan.

“We all expected a strong weekend in Singapore. It was not the case, so maybe in Japan, we don't expect magic there and maybe we get a nice surprise.”