Aston Martin Formula One driver Fernando Alonso has warned about a potential danger of rain playing spoilsport during the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, with severely reduced visibility posing a big threat to the race. Weather.com predicts a 99 percent chance of rain and thunder during the race, adding to the challenges drivers could face.
Formula One cars have been known to leave a trail of spray in wet conditions, a subject of concern as it affects visibility by a great margin. While spray mitigation devices have been tested on cars in the past, the sport is yet to develop a solution that can solve the problem entirely.
The 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying was postponed from Saturday to Sunday after torrential rain and lightning struck the Interlagos circuit. The forecast pointed to persistent rainfall, dropping visibility substantially and causing large pools of water to form across the track.
While the intensity of the rain in Australia is not known yet, Alonso is prepared to race in any condition. However, he stressed that the wet race will be fun if there is enough visibility. Pointing out the nature of the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, where visibility could be a problem, he told the media:
“I think the biggest question is the visibility. If the visibility is okay, I think the race could be fun if it rains.
“But Melbourne is not a straight line. It’s always some kind of corner, between [Turns] six to nine, so it could be tricky in terms of visibility. So, it’s not good. It’s not fun when you drive and you can’t see.
“But we are ready, same conditions for everybody. So hopefully we score points. That’s the target. We start P12, only two positions away from the target.”
While wet races are something that experienced F1 drivers may not find challenging, six rookie drivers will make their premier class race debut tomorrow, marking their first wet race in F1 machinery. When Alonso was asked if experience would matter most tomorrow, he said:
“I prefer to be on that side than on the blind side of experience. But they’re fast, they are very talented, they are well prepared. So they are tough to beat.”
Describing how the tarmac would be under wet conditions, Alonso continued:
“It is a very unique tarmac, so it’s a question mark in the wet, because when it’s so slippery and so smooth it becomes like a mirror and the water stays there for very long.
“Same for everybody, as I said, but we will try to do our best.”
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