Aston Martin are “taking the right path again”, according to two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso.
Alonso piloted his AMR23 to fifth on the grid for the Dutch Grand Prix, and will share the third row of the grid with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard was able to capitalise upon Aston Martin’s strong package early in the season, claiming six podiums in the opening eight races.
However, the British marque has experienced a slowing of momentum over the mid-season having failed to finish higher than fifth since the Canadian Grand Prix.
In a bid to return to it’s early season glory, Aston Martin has introduced a brand new floor and diffuser to the Dutch Grand Prix – an upgrade Alonso believes could bring his team back into the fight for podiums.
“To finish in P5, the position is very strong. Close to the podium fight, so I take it for sure,” he told the media after qualifying.
“The last two events we were P8 and P9, so definitely a step forward. But yes, it was very stressful again, especially Q3, when you put the dry tyres on and you are on a track that is just two metres wide and you need to perform a dry timed lap. But the dry line is only two metres, it is very intense.
“Feeling-wise the car felt better, but also the data confirmed that the new upgrade was working as expected in the wind tunnel
“So, definitely a step forward. I think that P5 today is also thanks to the extra performance that we had in the car. So, thanks to everyone in the factory, I know that they have been working really flat out in July.
“We had the four races in July plus all the work in the factory to produce these parts because in August, with the factory being closed, we could not make any steps. So, everything was made in July and it was a very intense month for everyone.”
While the upgrades seem to be a step forward for Aston Martin, there is still progress to be made as the team seeks to close back in on second in the Constructor’s Standings. The Silverstone based team currently trails Mercedes by 51 points, and holds just a five point advantage to Ferrari.
“I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction. We need obviously more. We always ask for more,” Alonso continued.
“Competition is really strong. McLaren, even Williams, they were very strong this weekend as well. So, this shows how tight everything is.
“But it seems we understood a few of the things that went wrong a few races ago for us. We are taking the right path again and this is very interesting also, not for this year but also for next year.”
