Aston Martin has admitted its post-race analysis of the Monaco Grand Prix revealed Fernando Alonso had a chance to lead, if not win, the race.
Rain in the latter third of the 78-lap encounter doused the circuit and saw the field, in a four-lap period, switch from slick to intermediate rubber.
However, during that window, second-placed Alonso swapped his hard compound slicks for a set of medium tyres.
It was a call based on driver feedback, which had last traversed the northern end of the circuit before the rain intensified in the lap to the lane.
By the time Alonso was back out on track, intermediates were clearly the correct choice.
Post-race, both Alonso and team boss Mike Krack denied the decision cost the team a shot at victory, reasoning Red Bull and Max Verstappen would have reacted to protect their lead.
However, analysis conducted in the days since has seen Krack go back on those comments, conceding Alonso could have at least led the grand prix.
“The computer system says that, if we had gone to inters, we would have probably come [out] in front of Max,” Krack admitted.
“But that does not mean we would have won the race.
“So yes, in the full benefit of hindsight that would have been the case, but when you make the decisions, you have to rely on the data that you have.”
Aston Martin is the most improved team in the sport this season with five podiums from six races.
Alonso’s second in Monaco was the Spaniard’s best result since he drove for Ferrari in 2014, and the team’s best since Sebastian Vettel finished second in Azerbaijan in 2021.
With a view to consolidating its position at the front of the field a priority, Krack explained the team is risk-averse when it comes to making aggressive strategy calls.
“If aggressive means gambling, the answer is clearly no,” he asserted.
“We are not gamblers. We are a data-driven team. We look at all the information we are having.
“So from that point of view, everything was working as you should,” he added.
“It’s clear that with the benefit of hindsight, you might sometimes do things differently.”
Having fitted the slick tyres at his initial stop, Aston Martin called Alonso back in a lap later where he took on the intermediates.
From there, he ran to the chequered flag, finishing second to Verstappen by 28 seconds.
Aston Martin sits second in the constructors’ championship to Red Bull, a single point clear of Mercedes in third.
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