Alonso reveals how Aston Martin aims to improve their 2024 package
F1 News
Home hero Fernando Alonso had a disappointing weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya. The Spaniard finished in just 12th place, as Aston Martin has struggled so far in 2024. Alonso secured six podium finishes in the first eight races of last season. In 2024, this run of form for Aston Martin feels like it was a fever dream. Speaking over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Alonso explained why Aston Martin has struggled, and how the British team aim to return to the podium in the future.
"We've been testing a few different setups. I think these long corners, the cars, they all behave differently. I think our car was behaving very differently in Bahrain. And after the first packages that we introduced, we changed a little bit the characteristics of the car. So we can mitigate a little bit that with the setups," Alonso said when asked about the characteristics of his AMR-24. "I think we are understanding more and more. But when you understand the package, the next one is coming and it resets everything. But as I said, now I think we have a plan. Let's see if it contributes to a better result. But we are more confident than we have been in the previous months," explained Alonso, whose last victory was on Spanish soil in 2013.
'Painful' experience for Alonso in 2024
Despite a tougher year, Alonso is still optimistic for the future with Aston Martin, a team the 42-year-old will drive for until the end of the 2026 season. "We cannot forget that last year, it was the first car that this team was making, the new technical team was designing. I think we've been trying to add performance to the car. Sometimes we didn't add much and we just made the car a little bit more difficult and tricky to drive. And they've been working for one year and a half together. So everything is glueing still at the top level. I think now we are in a strong position in the future. So I'm very relaxed. But the present is what matters in racing. And the present is today. The present is Barcelona. It's obviously painful, but I'm relaxed." Concluded Alonso, who is sticking with his Aston Martin team.