A better result than expected for Aston Martin in Singapore

Has Adrian Newey’s arrival restored momentum to Aston Martin? Since the resumption after the summer break, the Silverstone team has been on a good run, with four point-scoring finishes in the last five races. These improved results are mainly due to Fernando Alonso’s regained form, as he manages to score points in a less competitive car. This weekend, he finished a respectable eighth. However, the Spaniard described this result as lucky, attributing his good grid position to favorable circumstances that he was able to exploit.

Alonso took advantage of Ferrari’s setbacks and Pérez’s.

After unconvincing free practice sessions, optimism was low within Lawrence Stroll’s team, who expected a challenging weekend. This trend was confirmed in qualifying for Lance Stroll, unable to progress beyond the first part of qualifying. On the other hand, Fernando Alonso was able to maximize the performance of his car and take advantage of Sergio Pérez’s difficulties (eliminated in Q2) and the Ferraris (no lap time set in Q3) to secure seventh position. On Saturday night, he expressed his surprise at this result, considering the challenges faced with the car on this type of circuit.

» I am very happy with this seventh place and the performance achieved. We struggled a lot with the car’s weaknesses on this track and worked hard to try to improve everything. We managed to string together the laps and, thanks to a few cars that did not complete their lap in Q3, we finished a bit higher than our real pace. We accept this result, but we know that points are won in the race, so we have to finalize the work and score good points.

The next day, Alonso continued his momentum by finishing in a remarkable eighth position, behind the top four teams. When asked if it was the best result he could achieve, he answered: “Yes, absolutely. Behind the top four teams, just ahead of Checo.”

A good result but still a deficient pace.

« Normally, it is the ninth or tenth place that is within our reach, so finishing eighth is a little better than our most optimistic expectations. Again, those are good points », said the former Ferrari driver to the media, including RacingNews365. Alonso also highlighted the significant performance gap with the top four teams and the lack of pace of the Aston Martin, concealed on urban circuits but likely to reappear at the next Grand Prix in Austin.

We got four more points than we deserved, because we are not at this position, so I am happy. In the upcoming races, we will have to raise our level because we don’t have the pace to finish in the points. We are still one lap down, and the pace wasn’t great. It was a difficult car to drive all weekend. We were lucky. We scored points, but it was just as possible to finish P15 with the same feelings. I think the last street circuits, in Singapore and Baku, may have offered us an opportunity. Now, we must raise the level.

Improvements that finally bring more performance?

Although the team is in a comfortable position in the standings, with a 52-point lead over Racing Bulls, its main rival, improvements are planned for the upcoming races. We have new parts coming, hoping that they will help us regain better performance. With twelve points scored in the last two races, Alonso and Aston Martin are regaining confidence. Although the current pace is insufficient, the team knows it can rely on its driver to maximize its results. The arrival of Adrian Newey next year should further strengthen this momentum, propelling the team to new heights.