“I think we need to raise the bar”: Fernando Alonso urges Aston Martin to find a fix to recent problems after finishing behind Williams in Italy

Fernando Alonso has commented on Aston Martin's position in the F1 championship battle. While the team's main target remains 2026 when the new regulations will come into play, the Spaniard wants to see some improvements over the next few races.

Aston Martin witnessed a peak in its performance in the 2023 season. Alonso was able to battle competitively at the top, finishing on the podium eight times. However, as the season progressed, Aston Martin's performance faded and currently the team is finding it difficult to even get into the top 5.

Addressing the team's fall in performance after the Italian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso talked about their goals. He also explained that the race at Monza was a "bit better" because he understood the car, but still finished out of points. The team was also behind Alex Albon in the Williams.

"But I think this year we've been – Lance and myself – very close, and [in Monza] it was one of those weekends that I was a little bit better and I was happy with the car and pushing to the level that maybe was beyond 100% and that was P11, so disappointed on that," Autosport quoted Fernando Alonso.

"We need to be patient. We need to understand that the big target is 2026. But at the same time, I think as a team, we could accept not being in the top four battle - they are top teams and they are well in front of us. But now to be behind Williams, behind Haas, behind [RB], I think we need to raise the bar a little bit. We need to get better."

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Fernando Alonso does not foresee improvement in performance without upgrades

The Spaniard does not feel that there will be any significant improvement in Aston Martin's performance in the upcoming races unless the team introduces new upgrades. He feels that bringing in new parts is essential for the team in the coming races to perform better and maintain its position in the championship.

"[As long as] we don't have an upgrade on the car, this is what it is and this is not good enough," Fernando Alonso claimed. "Not good enough in Monza. Not good in Zandvoort, in Spa, in Hungary."

"So I don't think there's going to be a big change in Baku, Singapore or Austin unless we bring new parts. That's the plan."

Nevertheless, the team seems to be focused on its goals for the future. It has been reported by multiple sources that Aston Martin is set to sign Adrian Newey. The announcement is understood to be imminent and could be made within the next week, prior to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Newey will be leaving Red Bull in the 2025 F1 season. He has been associated with multiple teams. Ferrari seemed to be close to signing him, however, Aston Martin is now leading the race. Reports further claim that the Scuderia did not want to get into an auction war with Aston Martin over Newey's services.