Aston Martin had a successful outing at the Canadian Grand Prix, bagging a solid 14-point haul. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll managed to navigate tricky conditions to finish in sixth and seventh places, respectively. Following this positive result, Alonso is now looking forward to his home race in Barcelona, hoping for similar success.
Reflecting on the Canadian GP, Alonso shared that the team had high expectations for their performance in Montreal. “I think on paper we were happier with Montreal than with Barcelona. We thought this track would be better for us, but let’s see if we get a nice surprise [in Spain].”, he said.
Fernando Alonso tells https://t.co/wBvTAwTWVT: “I think on paper we were happier with Montreal than with Barcelona. We thought this track would be better for us, but let’s see if we get a nice surprise.”
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) June 10, 2024
Despite this optimism, Alonso and Aston Martin aren’t entirely confident about their chances in the Spanish Grand Prix. Last year, despite a strong start to the season where they emerged as the second-fastest team behind Red Bull, they struggled at Barcelona. The Spanish Grand Prix marked the beginning of a dip in their form.
Even with regular podium finishes earlier in 2023, Barcelona proved to be a challenging venue for the team. And Alonso is well aware of this fact. “I know the team is also working very hard to hopefully develop some new things for Barcelona. It will be a very interesting weekend. Let’s see if we can get back into the points with both cars,” he added.
As Formula 1 resumes its European leg with the Spaniard’s home race, Aston Martin is keen to carry forward the momentum they gained in Canada. They are hopeful that the upgrades that were introduced during the Imola Grand Prix weekend will help them gain some form going ahead in the season.
Aston Martin is a long way from its early glory days in 2023
Although the Canadian GP was a positive race for Aston Martin, their overall season has been lackluster compared to their impressive start in 2023. In the early part of last season, Aston Martin sat second in the constructors’ championship, having improved significantly from a dismal seventh-place finish in 2022.
After nine races in 2023, Aston Martin had accumulated 175 points. However, this season they have only managed to score 58 points, highlighting how much they have fallen behind in terms of car performance.
️ “There was no throwing it all away on a no-hoper gamble but a sensible, well-run race from both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.”
We all know what time it is. Here are your #CanadianGP winners and losers
https://t.co/ehFmIdgu0W pic.twitter.com/QKaq5ND9Gr
— The Race (@wearetherace) June 10, 2024
As the focus shifts to Barcelona, Aston Martin aims to learn more about their recent upgrades and extract more performance from the AMR24. The team needs to unlock more pace from their car to challenge the top four teams more consistently. The Silverstone outfit would be hoping to build on their success in Canada and deliver a strong performance at Fernando Alonso’s home race.
