Jody Egginton reckons Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda made life ‘more difficult’ for themselves than they needed to during Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and as a result they did not score the kind of points they deserved.
Pierre Gasly climbed from the back of the pack following the decision to start the race on the full-wet tyre to finish eighth on the road, although that would become seventh after Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team’s Lance Stroll was handed a five-second time penalty post-race.
Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda already had work to do after crashing out of Qualifying before setting a lap time on Saturday, and the Japanese driver was on course for a second consecutive points finish only for him to spin just after the red flag period that once again left him at the back of the pack.
Seventh and twelfth place finishes were not what AlphaTauri were after at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, and Egginton, the Technical Director of the Faenza-based outfit, says they need to deliver a stronger performance across the board in the Portuguese Grand Prix in two weeks time to merit the potential of the AT-02.
“Today’s race was certainly eventful and – although we have scored a few points with Pierre – we have to be honest and say we have made our lives more difficult than they needed to be and have not scored the points that the package was capable of this weekend,” said Egginton.
“Obviously, the entire team is disappointed but together we will review today’s race, in an open and pragmatic way, and address various topics that will allow us to deliver a stronger performance at the next Grand Prix.”
