Fernando Alonso has said Aston Martin’s current Formula 1 form is “not good enough” after describing his 11th-place finish at the Italian Grand Prix as an “inspiring weekend”.
Aston Martin currently sits fifth in the Constructors’ Championship but has only collected six points in the last four races and failed to qualify at Monza, despite Alonso believing he had outperformed the car in Italy, finishing just one second behind ninth-placed Alex Albon. He stressed that the drivers must be patient with the team but that improvements are needed.
“There’s nothing we can do,” Alonso said. “So to speak, we’re in the hands of our team, and Lance [Stroll] Me and I try to do our best every weekend. There is one weekend that I am inspired by, Monza 2024 with Alonso, which is completely anonymous, but this year Lance and I were very close. There are always times when we are ahead or behind by two or three seconds at the end of the race.
“and [Monza] It was one of those weekends where I was a little bit better, I was happy with the car and I was pushing it to over 100% and that was P11, so it was disappointing.
“We have to be patient. We have to understand that the big target is 2026. But at the same time, I think as a team we can accept that we won’t be in the top four. They are a top team and they are way ahead of us. But now that we are behind Williams, Haas and Toro Rosso, I think we have to raise the bar a little bit. We have to be better.”
Alonso does not expect Aston Martin to be more competitive in Baku or Singapore, as he believes the car has already proven its current level in Italy.
“No, until we upgrade the car, I think this is all there is and it’s not enough,” he said. “It’s not enough at Monza. It’s not enough at Zandvoort, Spa, Hungary. So unless we bring in new parts, I don’t think there will be any big changes in Baku, Singapore or Austin.
“That’s the plan. The team knows what’s going on. The team is working hard. So, we’re going to stick together. We’re going to keep pushing. Last weekend was one point. [Monza] It was close to 2 points and that was going to be our fight.
“I think there is still time to react. It is September 1st. McLaren have been on the podium for four months now. So there is a clear case. Also Mercedes have had the same start as us. We were level with Mercedes in the first four races, and they have already won three races this year. So I don’t like excuses.”
Adrian Newey is set to join the team next week, but Alonso would not comment on how much of an immediate impact the legendary designer could have given Aston Martin’s existing capabilities.
“Well, there are still rumors, and I don’t think one person can solve the problem,” he said. “What we have now and what we produce is more important. We need to understand what is going in the right direction, what is going in the wrong direction, and try to prepare for 2025 in a better way.”
