Qatar GP
The Debrief by Aramco
We leave Qatar with more points after a physically demanding Grand Prix on Sunday night.
Fernando finished sixth and Lance 11th under the lights amid the intense heat at Lusail International Circuit.
Friday's Qualifying session set the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix, with Fernando lining up fourth and Lance 16th – both on used Mediums. For safety reasons, every driver was limited to 18 laps on any set of tyres, which essentially mandated a minimum of three stops for every driver over the 57-lap race.
On Lap One, the Safety Car was deployed for a collision between the Mercedes. Lance took the opportunity to pit for a new set of Medium tyres on Lap Three, with the caution ending one lap later.
Fernando's first stint ended on Lap 11 as he swapped for another set of used Mediums. In the second stint of the race, Fernando ran as high as third, and Lance as high as fifth.
Lance boxed for a new set of Hard compounds on Lap 21 and Fernando followed suit on Lap 26. A run through the gravel at Turn Two on Lap 34 left Fernando's car with damage, which compromised the rest of his race.
After pitting for a new set of Mediums on Lap 39, Lance received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, with another penalty incurred as the race neared its conclusion. He finished 10th in hot and exhausting conditions, but was demoted to 11th for track limits infringements.
With his final stint beginning after a stop for new Mediums on Lap 44, Fernando finished sixth, adding eight more points to the one he earned in Saturday's Sprint.
Our attention now turns to the 2023 United States Grand Prix, which hosts the fifth Sprint of the season and begins a triple-header of races in the Americas.
The Grand Prix
Read what Fernando, Lance and Team Principal Mike Krack said after the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
#14 Fernando Alonso | Grand Prix
"It was an extreme race today with the hot conditions and perhaps one of the toughest we've faced. We also had an issue with the seat being very hot from around Lap 15, which made it quite challenging.
"We were competitive though and I'm happy to finish sixth after a few weekends where we didn't have the pace.
"We finished ninth in Monza, eighth in Japan and here I felt like we were in the mix.
"Perhaps as a sport we can think about some measures in the future if we experience these extreme temperatures again."
#18 Lance Stroll | Grand Prix
"We finished ninth on track today, with track limit penalties demoting us to 11th.
"It's disappointing not to take any points away having raced so hard in such physically demanding conditions. The temperatures we faced out there were extreme – more so than any other event – and there are lots of tight corners here so you're constantly battling the g-forces.
"There are positives to take away though; the car had more pace today and the team made some good strategy decisions with the regulated tyre constraints.
"The team in the garage did a great job in such challenging conditions, too."
Mike Krack, Team Principal
"We scored important points today, but it was not an easy race with the intense heat and tyre strategies available to us.
"They were tough conditions to go racing in and we saw all the drivers needing to hydrate after the race.
"I don't think there was much more available to us in terms of the overall results. We had a good opening stint and the strategy calls were the right ones.
"Fernando suffered with some floor damage after a trip through the gravel, which made it difficult to stay ahead of Charles [Leclerc].
"Lance had a good recovery from his starting position and was on track for points without the post-race time penalties.
"It is clear we need to find more performance and our full attention is on doing that for the upcoming races.“