Alonso and Ferrari one second behind the Mercedes

Fernando Alonso, who is rumored to be leaving Maranello and around whom all sorts of rumors have been swirling for several weeks, continues his role as a driver for Scuderia Ferrari by finishing this Friday in third place in the FP2, even though it’s more than a second behind the two Mercedes.

He states on the official Formula 1 website that he observed progress throughout the day thanks to good grip from the Texan track surface: « Today, we had good tests, helped by the track conditions, which were really different from previous years. It’s possible that the races they held here a few weeks ago helped clean the track, and in terms of grip, we didn’t have too many issues. »

« In the second session, the situation was slightly less favorable due to a strong wind, but it was expected and it didn’t affect our work too much. The soft tires seem to last less time than expected, but we are very aware of the performance evolution of the tires as the track evolves. It looks like the race will be different from previous editions, because the probability of two pit stops opens up different strategic possibilities. »

At the end of the practice sessions, the drivers were able to test the virtual safety car, which serves as a working basis to improve safety by forcing drivers to slow down in an accident zone to prevent an incident like Jules Bianchi’s at Suzuka from happening again in the future. For his part, the Spaniard is rather in favor of this measure. He states: « Today, we tried the Virtual Safety Car system, and I think for a first test it went well, although there is still a lot to do. All the drivers agree that it’s a very commendable idea, we just need to get used to it. »