The recent Italian Grand Prix at Monza proved to be a challenging and disappointing affair for Fernando Alonso, who finished just outside the points in 11th place. Despite a promising start where he overtook Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg, the Spaniard’s efforts fell short in the end.
Running comfortably within the points for much of the race, Alonso’s pace dwindled, causing him to lose positions to competitors Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen in the closing stages.
“Disappointed because we did a very good start, overtook Nico [Hulkenberg] and then very good strategy with the two stops, we undercut Alex [Albon] and were running P9 comfortably,” said Alonso via Formula 1.
However, a performance faltering post-second pit stop shattered his hopes of a strong finish.
Fernando Alonso of Spain and Aston Martin F1 Team talks to the media during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on August 31, 2024 in Monza, Italy. Fernando Alonso faced a challenging and disappointing Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
“But at the end with the second stop, we could not catch quick enough Alex and we finished a second behind him and one-tenth behind Magnussen so for one second, two positions [lost] is costly and painful,” he added.
A particularly stinging blow for Alonso came in the final laps when he narrowly missed capitalizing on Magnussen’s 10-second penalty. As a result, Alonso could not secure the points he’d hoped for.
The Monza setback comes during a season where Alonso had recently seen better form, scoring points in the two races preceding the Italian Grand Prix. Aston Martin, currently in fifth place in the constructors’ championship with a 40-point lead over RB, finds itself reevaluating its performances as the season progresses.
“I hope we understand things that we are doing wrong, as definitely, we are doing something really wrong and we get better for Baku,” Alonso said, hopeful for a turnaround.
His teammate Lance Stroll, who started down the order and finished last, was also let down by his car: “[The pace] was as expected, just not competitive this weekend,” admitted Stroll.
While the Silverstone team looks forward to an improvement at the Baku race, Adrian Newey, one of Formula One’s most renowned engineers, is rumored to join the team, with an official announcement expected ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Newey, who has contributed to 12 drivers’ championships and 13 constructors’ titles throughout his career, is set to leave Red Bull in 2025 after nearly two decades with the team. Aston Martin, a team that has been strategically bolstering its ranks with top talent under Lawrence Stroll’s ownership, looks to nab one of the greatest car designers in the industry to help improve their struggling cars.
