Did Alonso detonate his chance of Mercedes F1 drive? 2024 Australian GP diary

For Sainz Jr to then be setting the pace through the first two sections of qualifying with the fastest time and marking himself out as the closest challenger to Max Verstappen was quite extraordinary. He himself highlighted how his weekend out of the car in Saudi Arabia also meant some crucial learning was lost compared to the elite talents he’s competing against, and perhaps played a part in him missing out on pole when it mattered.

But from P2 he did appear to be a genuine threat on race pace, and talk of him struggling to see the chequered flag was being overshadowed by whether he could put Verstappen under pressure on the grid.

Even brake issues aside, what followed was sensational, as Sainz had the capacity to push clear of the field when he needed, and conserve his energy when he didn’t.

It’s a win that moves him level on victories with Charles Leclerc since the pair became team-mates in 2021 – three each – and should only serve to further increase interest in his services next year.

‘El Matador’ cut a very proud figure in the paddock on Sunday night, and rightly so as his son could well have carried the same nickname.

 

Alonso hits the brakes on his Mercedes hopes

Sainz should be a driver on the Mercedes shortlist but his countryman Fernando Alonso might have moved himself down the order of preference with his antics on the final lap of the race.

From off-board it appeared that George Russell closed in quickly on the Aston Martin into Turn 6 but not to an extent that led to audible gasps from those watching. Not until he ran off through the gravel and hit the barrier heavily, at least.

But once the FIA summoned the pair to discuss the incident it was clear that something had either caught their eye or been alleged by Mercedes. Aston Martin was none-the-wiser at the time of the hearing, but it was the best part of an hour before Russell emerged alongside Mercedes sporting director Ron Meadows and Alonso followed close behind Aston’s Andy Stevenson.

The two pairings walked far apart and with stern looks on their faces, suggesting it had been a serious meeting and that neither was satisfied with the outcome. Mercedes for the fact it lost a car and didn’t score, and Alonso for having to explain his driving.

The explanation he offered barely appeared to cut it with the stewards, but they stated they had to take Alonso at his word that he was simply attempting a different approach to Turn 6 and lifted too early so had to get back on the throttle and upshift before braking for the corner again.

It’s very fair to state that Alonso is extremely unlikely to have been intending to cause Russell to go off in the way that he did, but his approach was designed to help keep the Mercedes behind and it led to a potentially dangerous situation according to the stewards.

Alonso also claimed to have an engine concern on team radio – something that wasn’t referenced when he spoke to the stewards – and as it’s a Mercedes power unit in his car any telemetry from that incident will be seen by the supplier as well as rival teams.

Whether it was partly a misjudgment that just crossed the line of acceptable defensive driving or was a more intentional thing, the fact that a Mercedes was on the receiving end of it will not have gone down well with Toto Wolff.

 

The Williams fallout

That controversy took the attention away from the situation at Williams by the end of the weekend, but for much of Friday and Saturday it was James Vowles who was coming under scrutiny, after Alex Albon crashed and damaged his chassis beyond repair

Less so for the decision to give Albon the one remaining car for the rest of the event – as tough as that was on Logan Sargeant in the context of him having done little wrong in Melbourne, it was totally understandable that Albon currently offers the greater chance of points of the two – but more so on the position the team found itself in.

Vowles stated it was “unacceptable” for Williams not to have a spare chassis at the third race of the season, leaving the team unable to run two cars after such a crash. And it was, with so many rival teams stunned that it allow the situation to reach that point.

It’s a situation that Vowles has to take responsibility for – and to his credit he did on the grid pre-race – as the person in charge of the team, and the one who is demanding significant change at a rapid rate.

He insists the team pulled together impressively and that it’s made Williams stronger, but there are only so many big blows a team can take, and this one might well have signalled the end of the honeymoon period for Vowles.

 

Albert Park is special

A slightly self-indulgent note to finish on, but Thursday morning was the first time I had walked back into Albert Park since leaving at the end of media day four years ago. On that occasion, Thursday night saw McLaren withdraw from the race as the Covid pandemic loomed, and the race was subsequently cancelled.

On its return in 2022, I landed in Melbourne but fell ill and never made it to the track – waking up in hospital on race day – and then last year a friend’s wedding kept me in the UK.

So it struck me even more just what a beautiful event the Australian Grand Prix is, in a great city. The track location in Albert Park allows multiple different ways of access but really encourages the use of public transport, so riding in with fans on the tram does help you get a feel for the atmosphere.

Then the summer festival vibe that comes from the track layout around the park adds a pretty unique aspect, all with the backdrop of downtown Melbourne to one side and St Kilda Beach on the other.

I was never lucky enough to go to Adelaide when the race was held there, but Albert Park is a cracking venue.