Fernando Alonso admits he is feeling optimistic ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend. The Spaniard travels to Spielberg in somewhat high spirits after securing his first points of the season in Azerbaijan last time out, albeit a mere two points for the double-world champion.
Alonso has had a difficult season so far, with his Honda power unit being both slow and unreliable. The Japanese manufacturer is set to bring upgrades to Austria after some positive data was gathered during Friday practice in Baku.
Alonso said that despite two points not at all what he wants as a result, he enjoyed the race: "I really enjoyed my race in Baku. Our performance in the race not only showed that the foundations of our car package are strong, but also that our operational team – our mechanics, engineers and strategists – are all racers, poised and waiting to take advantage of any situation. Two points may have been a small consolation after an extremely tough weekend, but, as I said at the time, we’ll take it and use it to drive us forwards."
And the Spaniard is looking forward to racing around the Red Bull Ring which he believes isn't as power sensitive as other tracks on the calendar. Despite the current displeasure of Alonso at McLaren-Honda, he is looking forward to the weekend ahead.
"And there are reasons to feel more optimistic about our weekend in Austria. It’s a circuit that’s not as dependent on power as some of the recent races, and I think our car will be better suited to the twists and turns of the Spielberg circuit. I think we’ll be able to push hard.
"We’ve also got a couple of useful steps coming on the car, including – hopefully – Honda’s revised Spec Three power unit, which I tried during Friday practice in Azerbaijan. Every step is important, so I’m looking forward to a positive weekend where we can once again get everything out of the car."
Fergal Walsh
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