MADRID, April 26 (EUROPEAN PRESS) –

Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) celebrates the return of the Formula 1 World Championship this weekend after a long three-week break with an Azerbaijan Grand Prix which is “a unique challenge” due to the conditions of the track and to which he gets to know his car “better”.

“It’s good to be back after a few weeks of absence from racing. I recharged my batteries after a start to the season with a lot of adrenaline and now I can’t wait to be in Baku”, underlined Alonso in statements provided this Wednesday by his team.

The Spaniard, who has been on the podium in the previous three Grand Prix, warns of the dangers of the track. “This presents us drivers with a unique challenge, as we are faced with many low-speed urban stretches and then very high-speed straights which create many opportunities for risk and reward,” he detailed. .

In addition, the man from Oviedo is “excited” by the return this weekend of the Sprint format, also renewed by the organizers of the World Cup. “We’ve seen some fun races in the past and I’m sure it won’t be any different, especially now with two qualifying sessions and two races,” he said.

“After three races we know our car better, but we need to pick it up where we left off in Australia and keep the momentum of its development going in the next races,” said the two-time F-1 world champion. .

For his part, his partner at Aston Martin, Lance Stroll, is also delighted to return to action despite the “good thing to have taken a little break” and recalls that Baku “keeps good memories” on a personal level. as that was where he first stepped onto the podium in 2017.

“We go into this weekend hoping to continue our form since the start of the season. In general, Baku is a crazy race, a really fun track,” added the Canadian, who sees the new format as “great for the fans”. “the sprint race.

“We need to get off to a full speed start as there will be little time to prepare for qualifying and the races, but the team has done a fantastic job this year so I know we are up for the challenge,” said Stroll.