F1: Spanish Grand Prix: FIA Drivers Press Conference

Part One: Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, and Franco Colapinto.

Fernando Alonso: It's going to be a very special weekend. Having the privilege of racing twice in Spain this year, and now for the first time in Madrid, is significant. The last time F1 was in Madrid was many years ago at Jarama. It's a new track, which presents a challenge for everyone to learn it quickly during free practice. With the new regulations, fine-tuning energy management can be tricky, especially on an unfamiliar circuit. There are many challenges ahead, and for me, it's doubly special to be racing in Spain.

Regarding the track layout, I've driven it on the simulator. However, perhaps the Ferrari drivers, who had a filming day here earlier in the year, would be better suited to comment on it.

I expect to be more competitive here than we were at Monza last weekend, and likely on any other circuit globally. However, we need to wait and see. As I mentioned, there are challenges to discover. The simulator and layout suggest there's a lot of kerb riding, and Formula 3 drivers have also confirmed it's not an easy track. The grip level of the asphalt is also a question mark – whether it will be grippy or not. Track evolution from FP1 to qualifying and the race is expected, particularly on a street circuit where there's usually significant improvement. You need to keep pace with that, anticipating the track getting faster with every run. This requires adjustments in driver input and set-up directions. Therefore, interesting developments are anticipated throughout the weekend. Accumulating laps will be crucial. On street circuits, you need to complete as many laps as possible to build confidence close to the walls and extract lap time. Simultaneously, you can encounter yellow flags, red flags, and other incidents, where luck can play a role depending on your track position. We hope for a good, reliable weekend with minimal issues and maximum laps.

Regarding my future plans for 2027, news will not be available soon. This is because it's nice to savor the moment.

Esteban Ocon: It's awesome to be here in Madrid and to be learning a new track. It's been a while since F1 visited a new circuit, and it's a crazy track with a lot of risk-reward when pushing close to the walls. This will reward those who take the most risks. As Fernando mentioned, there are many unknowns, which is good because it could create opportunities for midfield cars. Unknowns in strategy or potential race incidents could be leveraged.

The chassis upgrades brought to Monza were positive and delivered for the whole team. While Monza wasn't the ideal track to test them, it was valuable to have them there. We are still working on inconsistency across the cars, which is currently hurting us. We aim to solve this this weekend. However, the upgrade has been very positive, and we look forward to seeing the gains it provides here.

Franco Colapinto: Yes, this season, hopefully only. I'm very excited to be back in Spain, in Madrid. The second race in Spain this year is very exciting. Madrid feels like the closest to home, especially considering my previous experiences and how I started in Europe and Formula racing. I began here in Madrid, so racing here in Formula 1 is a dream come true. It's also very good for the sport to have another major city like Madrid back on the calendar with an exciting and great-looking track. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and the weekend.

Monza was a great weekend for the team. While it might be a slightly tougher assignment here in Madrid, hopefully not. Monza suited our car very well, particularly our strengths on the straights and in low-speed corners. The upgrade in Zandvoort was also very positive, improving the car's window and allowing for better performance in Monza. There's still a lot of work to do, but hopefully, we can translate that into a good weekend here in Madrid with a fast car.

Questions From The Floor

(Craig Slater - Sky Sports UK) Fernando, you say you're not in a rush to decide your future. Is there any impatience from Aston Martin's side? They might have seen other big-name drivers commit to their teams. Are they showing urgency to re-sign you for next year? The project needs continuity.

FA: Sure, sure. No, but those drivers were visiting Lawrence in the summer. So, no urgency.

(Craig Slater - Sky Sports UK) What about from your own perspective, carrying the project on, Fernando, and the enthusiasm?

FA: As I said, it's a matter of understanding the impact of next year's regulations on racing and driving. The current cars, as I've said many times, are not the best to drive or enjoy. However, next year should represent a step in the right direction. At the same time, I need to consider the best program for next year and discuss with the team whether my contribution is most valuable behind the wheel or in another role. Deciding this together will be the most important factor.

(David Croft - Sky Sports F1) A question for yourself, Esteban. You mentioned 'inconsistency across the cars, that's what's hurting us.' Can you expand on that and how it affects your season?

EO: Yes, this is something we've faced throughout the season. Both Ollie and I are very aware of it. When the cars are in a healthy state where they can perform, we perform well as drivers and as a side of the garage. Ollie had a car that delivered as expected last week, while mine did not. Conversely, in Budapest, he faced difficulties. We are aware of these issues, and our primary focus is to prevent these problems and start the weekend by working normally with the car. It becomes difficult when you're trying to recover from a deficit in performance. That's our current situation. However, this doesn't diminish the good work the team has done in recent races. We've had three consecutive Q2 appearances. While it's not Q3, I feel I've extracted the maximum possible from the car, leaving nothing on the table. The results we want are higher, and we need more performance to fight for points. Still, it's satisfying to know we maximized the car's potential given its limitations and are now working on improvements. We've been doing a good job recently and need to continue.

(Mara Sangiorgio - Sky Sports Italy) A question for Esteban. Knowing that your team is testing with other drivers, and this week might be important, what discussions are you having with your team about your future, and are you speaking with other teams?

EO: Yes, we are having discussions regarding the future in recent weeks. I was convinced to join this project with Ayao from 2025, and naturally, the first discussions need to be with this team, and they are happening now. The team is allowed to test other drivers if they wish, as we have an important TPC program that also generates revenue. However, it's clear that the drivers are not the problem within the team. We are all pushing together in the same direction to get more out of the car. Both Ollie and I perform when the car allows us to. My current focus is on maximizing our potential, fixing car issues, learning this new track, and hopefully achieving good results.