Why does Fernando Alonso consider the sprint weekend for the 2023 F1 Austrian GP 'not ideal' for Aston Martin?

Fernando Alonso voiced his concerns about the upcoming race in Austria having a sprint race format. Though the new upgrades brought by Aston Martin helped Alonso in the Canadian GP, he feels there is still a lot more to learn about the new parts.

Speaking iat the drivers' press conference after the Canadian GP, Fernando Alonso explained how the Austrian GP will not be ideal for his team simply because there won't be all three practice sessions for them to properly study the new parts. According to him, there is still a lot to learn about the new package they brought to Canada.

"Yeah, Austria, yeah, let’s see. I think the sprint weekend will not be ideal for us. We still have more time maybe of free practice with our new upgraded car. We still need to understand and optimise the package a little bit and in Austria, obviously with the sprint, we will have only FP1 to do that. But yeah, it is what it is."

Fernando Alonso also compared the Red Bull Ring in Austria to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada. He hopes that the upcoming circuit will suit the new upgrades better. He concluded:

"The circuit will be good and maybe better for the package as well, this one with a strange layout, let’s say. Maybe good for Ferrari, historically here as well with a long straight and short corners so maybe Austria we have a little bit more pace."

Teams did not get to run full practice sessions In the Canadian GP due to a major issue with the CCTV cameras during FP1. The second practice session also had some disturbances due to rain.

Going into the Austrian GP, teams will only get one practice session as there will be a sprint shootout and a sprint race on Saturday.

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Fernando Alonso on his 2023 F1 Canadian GP experience

Fernando Alonso discussed the intensity of the recently concluded Canadian GP . During the post-race interview with former F1 driver Jenson Button, he explained how Lewis Hamilton was constantly chasing him and keeping the pressure on. The Aston Martin driver said:

"Yes, we were hoping to challenge the Red Bull but we lost a place at the start with Lewis and then it was a battle with the Mercedes and Lewis was pushing all the race. So I didn't have one lap where I could relax a little bit so it was an amazing battle."

Fernando Alonso failed to close the gap to Max Verstappen during the race, partly due to issues with the car. He battled Hamilton for the majority of the race and defended his second place start. Alonso is currently third in the Driver's Standings with 117 points.