Aston Martin went from having its best season in 2023 to seeing its race-winning hopes crash down just a year later. Fernando Alonso registered eight podiums in his first campaign with the Silverstone-based outfit and, heading into 2024, hoped to break his 11-year winless streak in F1. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Alonso didn’t finish in the top three even once this season, but it would be unfair to pin the blame on him. Aston Martin’s performance took a major hit, with the team admittedly struggling to come up with an optimal car concept.
Alonso shed light on their massive fall from grace, going from scoring 280 points in 2023 to just 94 this year. However, having achieved key objectives, the Spaniard doesn’t believe the season was a complete failure.
Firstly, Alonso highlighted how Aston Martin managed to retain P5 in the Constructors’ Championship — a “minimal requirement” according to him despite their drop in points haul. Furthermore, he revealed how they made some key signings and learned a lot about the car.
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“I think we learned a lot of lessons this year towards the car of next year,” Alonso revealed on the Chequered Flag podcast. “We completed building two and three of the factory on the new campus, so great news on that side. And we hired Adrian Newey“.
Alonso was referring to the $250 million owner Lawrence Stroll spent on building a state-of-the-art factory in Silverstone with the hope that these key investments would help turn their fortunes around moving forward.
The two-time World Champion believes 2024 should not only be evaluated based on what they achieved on track but also on the promise their off-track accomplishments hold for the future. “That will make the team stronger for the future,” he added.
Alonso and Aston Martin will target championship glory in 2026
With Newey joining the team, Aston Martin has secured the most successful aerodynamicist the sport has ever seen. His partnership with Alonso is a dream pairing on paper, and with regulations set to change in 2026, there is hope that this collaboration could lead to a season where they challenge for the Championship.
If they succeed, there would be no one happier than Alonso, and he would do everything in his potential to help them achieve glory. After all, the Ovied0-born driver last won the title in 2006, and a race in 2013 when he stood on the first step of the podium in Spain.
At 43, Alonso is eager to make the twilight of his F1 career as successful as possible. His current contract runs until the end of the 2026 season, but he remains open to an extension, depending on how successful 2026 proves to be for him.
