“Here comes the difficult period for Aston Martin”: Fernando Alonso outlines the need to find ‘something extra’ over F1 rivals in next 2-3 years

Fernando Alonso is coming off a breakthrough season in 2023, following his F1 nadir in the past decade. A rejuvenated Alonso racked up eight podiums and finished fourth in the drivers' standings in his first year with the Silverstone squad.

Alonso's arrival at Aston Martin coincided with the team making the huge leap from being a midfield contender to the front of the grid. However, the team's aggressive upgrade plan backfired as rivals Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren overtook them in the constructors' standings, and they dropped to fifth.

Owing to the stellar start to his campaign, Fernando Alonso admitted that the team had overachieved this past season. But he also insisted that it would face a difficult phase in the coming years.

“The starting point is a little better than I thought, but now the real difficulty begins… Now, here comes the difficult period for Aston Martin,” MARCA quotes him as saying.

“I think in the next two or three years, finding that extra something no one has – being creative, innovative. I think that perhaps is the biggest question we must face.”

With the team now establishing themselves as a potential front-runner, Fernando Alonso's comments suggest it will have to up its game to contend for the top end of the grid.

Aston Martin's struggles were well documented, as they failed to keep up with the frontrunners and the development race heated up. The Silverstone squad shrugged off its mid-season slump and regrouped its efforts finishing its 2023 campaign on a better note.

Their 2023 season is indicative of how difficult it is for a midfield team to not only make the jump to the front of the grid but sustain the results throughout the season.

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Fernando Alonso reveals the secret behind his career longevity

At 42 years of age, Fernando Alonso is showing no signs of slowing down, as he continues to impress with his speed and immaculate racecraft.

Alonso recently opened up about his longevity in F1, as he mentioned how he regulates every activity in his life.

“When you’re young, you make some mistakes: you try to do everything, you try to be everywhere, but you can’t do that and then perform at your maximum and be 100 percent when the time comes to drive the car,” he was quoted by Aston Martin team.

“Now, I think I regulate more than ever. I know what affects me, and what drains my battery, and I try to be as efficient as possible.

“We live a very different life Monday to Thursday and then Thursday to Sunday. It’s like there is a completely different person inside your body and mind. I can relax and be like a normal 42-year-old man at the start of the week, and then Thursday to Sunday, be a totally focused driver.”

The Spaniard also holds the record for making the most starts in F1, as he has started 378 Grands Prix, having entered 381, since his debut in 2001.