Veteran Formula One driver Fernando Alonso has given a candid assessment of Aston Martin’s performance this season. His reflections reveal a mixture of pride in the team’s achievements and a sense of disappointment at not realising their full potential.

Aston Martin began the year with modest expectations and surprised many with a strong start. At the beginning of the season, they were one of the standout teams, thanks in part to Alonso’s consistently high level of performance.

As the year progressed, however, the team experienced a decline, particularly in the second half of the year, and ultimately finished fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.

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Alonso: ‘Fifth in the championship hurts a bit’

Alonso has often expressed his satisfaction with the season, and has often been pleasantly surprised by his and the team’s performances. Looking forward to next season, he acknowledges the heightened expectations: more podiums and possibly a win.

“Expectations will be very high. There is a certain amount of pressure on your shoulders,” he admits, emphasising the competitive nature of Formula One.

Despite Aston Martin’s fifth place overall, Alonso’s individual performance often overshadowed that result.

“… this is Formula 1 . This is not a charity event. We have to deal with the pressure. We have to deliver. When you finish fifth in the constructors it hurts a little bit because I thought we were better than that. Or we hoped better than that at the beginning of the year.”

“It’s a bit surreal to be fighting with drivers who finished fourth with their teams. If we are fifth in the constructors’ championship, you should normally be ninth or tenth in the drivers’ championship,” he says, highlighting the discrepancy and his personal success.

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Identifying areas for improvement

Alonso identifies key areas where Aston Martin needs to improve for the 2024 season. Straight line speed has been a major weakness, with the team often lagging behind the competition.

“We were always a bit too slow on the straights,” he notes, acknowledging the challenge the team’s engineers face in finding the right balance between speed and aerodynamic efficiency.

“If we wanted to be as fast as the others, we would have had to drop too much rear wing,” said Alonso,

“Then we would be too slow in the corners. I think that was the circle we couldn’t get out of this season.”

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Another area of concern for Alonso is the consistency of the car’s performance. He mentions the narrow window in which the car has operated effectively, a problem exacerbated by the introduction of ground effect cars. Alonso is hoping for a more consistent level of performance next season.

“I think we also have to find something to be more consistent. One of the weakest points was that the window in which the car came into its own was very narrow,” says the two-time F1 champion.

“It’s the same for everyone [after the introduction of the ground effect cars], but it seems like we’re having a bit more trouble. It would be nice if we can perform at a stable level next year.”

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Looking ahead to 2024

With an early focus on the 2024 season, Alonso is optimistic about improvements. He believes that sacrificing certain aspects to improve others is part of the development process.

“We have some ideas for 2024, so I think things should get better,” he says confidently.

Fernando Alonso’s reflection on Aston Martin’s season is a warning to a team that showed early promise but couldn’t sustain the momentum. Looking ahead, the lessons learned and areas identified for improvement could be key to improving their performance.

With Alonso’s demands, experience and insight, will Aston Martin be ready to tackle the challenges of the new season with renewed vigour and ambition?

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