Fernando Alonso just misses out on the points in Monza in eleventh place – and yet the Aston Martin driver speaks of “one of his best races this season ”
For Fernando Alonso, there is no reason to be happy after the Italian Grand Prix (race report!). The Aston Martin driver just missed out on the points in eleventh place. “[It was] a tough weekend, but I think for me personally it was one of my best races of the year, if not the best,” Alonso surprises with his conclusion.
Because the AMR24 was not really competitive in Monza. “We were P9 for most of the race and P10 at the start. In the end, we were P11, eight tenths behind ninth and one tenth behind tenth,” says Alonso. “So it hurts a lot that we didn’t score any points because of one second, but P11 is much more than we deserved.”
“Today was much better than expected. I think we did really well in the race,” said the Spaniard happily, although he remains without points in the championship for the sixth time this year. The Aston Martin driver started from eleventh position and was able to push past Nico Hülkenberg (Haas).
“And then we were tenth, close to Alex Albon,” reports Alonso. “Surprisingly, we were able to maintain the pace of Williams, which we were very pleased about.” With an undercut, the two-time world champion also passed the Williams driver a little later, meaning that he already had the points within reach with ninth place.
Missing out on points is “very painful ”
However, the tire wear was so bad that Aston Martin opted for a two-stop strategy. “So we tried to make up some ground at the end,” says Alonso, who was ultimately less than a second down in ninth place. “It’s very painful because we deserved the points with a well-executed race. The car is the way it is at the moment and we need to do better.”
“I’m disappointed about this,” said the Spaniard plainly. “We have to be patient. We have to understand that the big goal is 2026. But at the same time, I think we can accept as a team that we are not in the top four. “
“These are top teams and they are way ahead of us. But to be behind Williams now, behind Haas, behind Toro Rosso, I think we have to raise the bar a little bit. We have to be better.”
Even before the race, however, it was clear to the Spaniard that tire wear would be an issue and that the team would not be able to get by with just one pit stop. “Our car is normally quite tire-hungry and we have no downforce in the corners, so we rely entirely on the mechanical grip of the tires,” explained Alonso.
“That’s why we normally load the tires more than the others, which is our problem on Sundays,” says the 43-year-old. Because Monza is a track where the strategy is decided between one or two stops, Aston Martin was clear that it could not manage with one pit stop
Aston Martin “is not good enough ”
What positive aspects can Alonso take away from the Monza weekend? “Nothing!” is the sobering answer from the Aston Martin driver. “We have almost no strong points and that makes the races a bit difficult for us, but we have to keep fighting.”
The most important thing is to learn from the races so far and “see if there is an answer to come back stronger,” says Alonso, who has no hopes for the upcoming races, however. “I think until we have an upgrade on the car, it’s the way it is and that’s not good enough. “
“So I don’t think there will be a big change in Baku, Singapore or Austin unless we bring new parts. That’s the plan,” promises Alonso. “The team is aware of the situation, the team is working at full speed. We are staying together, we are continuing to push. Last weekend there was one point, today it was almost two points, and that will be our fight. “
Monza race “with a bitter aftertaste ”
McLaren is a good example of how you can improve during the season. “Besides, Mercedes started just like us, we were on a par with Mercedes in the first four races and they’ve already won three races this year, so I’m not a fan of excuses.”
And although the Italian GP was one of his best races this year, “I will try to forget this race tomorrow,” says the Aston Martin driver, who finished well ahead of his team-mate Lance Stroll. “I generally felt very good this weekend and I pushed the car to the maximum.”
“A well run race, good pit stops, a good start, good pace,” summarized Alonso. “But the gap to the car is bigger than in the last races, and that leaves a bitter taste. “
