Ahead of this weekend’s F1 São Paulo GP, Aston Martin sporting director Andy Stevenson emphasized the need to be prepared for anything heading to the Interlagos circuit.
“We need to be ready to capitalise on any opportunities that come our way. We know Interlagos often provides an exciting race because of factors like changeable weather and so we need to optimise and execute our weekend as well as we can, navigating any treacherous conditions.”
Aston Martin entering another wet F1 São Paulo GP
The Brazilian circuit is somewhat infamous for its rainy races. Indeed, conditions for the sprint race and qualifying on Saturday are expected to be wet, and Stevenson knows the extent of this chaos better than most. He was with Jordan in 2003 when Giancarlo Fisichella took the win after a red flag stopped the race with 15 laps to go.
“That weekend summed up racing in Brazil. Anything can happen and you just have to be there to take advantage. We’d got ourselves into a position to be in with a chance of victory. As a team, we never gave up. The great thing about our sport is, depending on what happens on the day, you can win a Grand Prix. And that’s the attitude you need every single race weekend.”
Aston Martin holding on in a tough midfield fight
Maintaining that attitude has been difficult at times. Their best team result has been just 5th and 7th in Hungary for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, respectively. But Aston Martin are still very much in the midfield fight. Heading into the São Paulo GP, Aston Martin are three points behind Racing Bulls for 6th in the constructors’ race. But Haas and Sauber are just seven and nine points back, respectively. Capitalizing on potential chaos would go a long way toward gaining and solidifying position, especially with extra points possible in a sprint weekend. “Sprint weekends are intense, but we have the processes in place to ensure we’re ready for whatever comes our way.”
