The Aston Martin F1 team had a flying start to the 2023 season as Fernando Alonso clinched five podiums after the first six races. However, ever since the Austrian Grand Prix took place in July, the Spaniard has just managed to clinch one podium. In order to make things worse, a recent report claims that Aston Martin expects that their downward trend will also continue next season.
According to a report put out by AMuS (as quoted by lastwordonsports.com), the Silverstone-based outfit have been struggling recently as there is a “lack of clarity” in the team about which direction to take to improve the car. As a result, the report states that there are opposing views in the team, who desperately need to make a decision now as they are now running out of time.
There are just three races remaining in the 2023 season now for Aston Martin to try out some of their new upgrades. While the Silverstone-based team are struggling to discover what works for them, their rivals such as Mercedes and McLaren have already made significant improvements to their car.
However, even though Aston Martin have had a fall from grace, they have yet significantly performed better than last season. Last year, the team finished seventh in the Constructors’ Championship with just 55 points.
In stark contrast, the team is currently fifth in the standings this season and has scored 236 points. However, despite Aston Martin’s improvement, team principal Mike Krack has claimed that owner Lawrence Stroll is not happy. The team’s dip in form has also resulted in several rumors emerging in the paddock.
Will Fernando Alonso leave because of Aston Martin’s dip in form?
As a result of Aston Martin’s dip in form, there have also been rumors that have suggested that Fernando Alonso may leave the team. Despite these rumors, the Spaniard remains committed to Aston Martin’s project. In a recent interview, the 42-year-old explained how “proud” he is of the team despite their recent struggles.
Fernando Alonso says there will be “consequences” for those who spread unfounded rumours this week about him potentially being on his way out of the Aston Martin #F1 team 👀 pic.twitter.com/EK0Bbhu6xU
— Autosport (@autosport) November 2, 2023
“I notice that motorsport is increasingly leaning towards football (soccer), where only the last result seems to count. Let’s not forget where we come from and what the Aston Martin project really means. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved so far this season,” Alonso explained (as quoted by formule1.nl). While Alonso may have no intention of leaving the team, the rumors just do not stop there.
Last month surprising reports emerged that Lawrence Stroll may even consider selling Aston Martin for $800 million after selling $145 million worth of shares earlier in the year. Interestingly, all these speculations about Aston Martin emerged after their significant dip in form.
