Fernando Alonso sees a real shift happening with Aston Martin, eyeing an “amazing” amount of progress after the team managed to shave a whopping three seconds off their gap to the leader in just two races. Yeah, you read that right: three seconds!
Dutch GP Qualifying Saw a Mixed Bag, But the Big Picture Is Clear
While both Aston Martin cars got knocked out in Q1 at the F1 Dutch GP qualifying, finishing behind Williams and even one Haas car, Alonso wasn’t letting that dim his view. Sure, a little traffic might have cost him a few tenths here and there. But for the veteran, that wasn’t the headline. He was laser-focused on the bigger picture: the massive strides the team has made in closing the gap to the front of the pack. From being about 4 to 5 seconds adrift, they’ve now slashed that deficit to roughly one second. That’s a monumental jump, especially after rolling out those chassis and power unit updates. It proves the work at the factory is paying off.
“Amazing” Progress, But the Grind Never Stops
Alonso told the media at the F1 Dutch GP that they were in Q2 in Budapest, and here they were just “one tenth or something like that” away. He noted that the gap to the Q1 leader, Piastri, was 1.3 seconds, down from their average of 4.5 seconds. “We improved three seconds in two races,” he said, calling it “amazing” and confirming “everything is working as expected.” But this is F1, folks, it’s a brutal sport. You can’t just chill. Alonso knows they have to keep pushing, keep improving, especially with how competitive everything is right now. He figures the next big step won’t come from trackside tweaks, but from some serious engine upgrades from Honda, likely coming from Silverstone and Japan. The hope is they can find another gear on the power unit side by Monza.
Chassis Grip Is The Secret Weapon For Race Day
Those further upgrades will definitely involve some “drivability improvement,” according to Alonso. He’s counting on big changes from the factory, be it software or whatever else is needed, to unlock those crucial “couple of tenths.” But even without those immediate power unit gains, Alonso is feeling good about their race pace for the Dutch GP. Why? Because the Aston Martin chassis is straight-up *good*. He believes when other teams start struggling with older tires, their chassis grip allows them to hold strong and even stretch out stints. It’s a huge advantage. Now, can they actually overtake on the straight? That’s still a “difficult position,” but you know Alonso and the crew will be trying their absolute best. Keep an eye on those power unit upgrades expected for Monza, because if they find another gear, things could get really interesting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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