Fernando Alonso is bent on Aston Martin's resurgence in the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. Alonso's team has been largely misfiring coming into this season, and the Spanish driver is determined to see the end of this downward trajectory.
Despite starting the 2023 season in style, the mid-season upgrades did not help them as they slumped to P5 at the end of the year. 2024 did not change their fortune either as they are stuck in the same position with an inferior challenger compared to the likes of McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
Alonso's recent contract renewal and the revamp of their tech department infused hope in fans and made them look strong on paper. However, it did not reflect on track as they delivered one after another underwhelming performances.
Even though Lawrence Stroll's team brought upgrades at Imola, it did not pay off. With that said Alonso is determined to bring out results with Aston Martin as Mike Krack and Co. are looking to ramp up their challengers with upgrades at Hungaroring. Speaking via PitDebrief, he said:
"We need to prove it. We need to not talk and deliver the results," Alonso said. "We’ve been bringing a lot of new parts to the car—some of them they work, some of them they didn’t. So hopefully in Hungary we have a positive surprise."
The Silverstone-based team experienced one of their best race weekends at Silverstone in the turbulent wet-dry race when Lance Stroll came home in P7, followed by Fernando Alonso in P8, providing a much-needed impetus for Alonso and Co. for the rest of the season.
Fernando Alonso wants Aston Martin to learn from McLaren and Mercedes
At the time when Aston Martin was battling with their mid-season upgrades, McLaren rose from their ashes and took Formula 1 by storm. They rose from 10th on the grid at one point to fourth at the end of this season.
Mercedes in 2024 followed a similar trajectory when they snatched two back-to-back race wins in Austria and Great Britain against all odds. Seeing two of their immediate rivals turn their season around, Alonso put his faith in Aston Martin.
"We saw last year McLaren showing us how much you can change in a season the car performance, and this year we have Mercedes. So there are two examples that it is possible. It’s up to us," the two-time world champion said.
Aston Martin currently stands in P5 of the Constructors' Championship with 68 points. RB (31 points) in P6, trails them by 37 points and their immediate rival Mercedes are in P4 with 221 points.