Fernando Alonso finished 12th at the Interlagos circuit in Brazil, showing technical progress with the Aston Martin AMR26 despite missing out on championship points.
The Spaniard demonstrated exceptional pace in wet conditions, qualifying inside the top 10 for the first time this season and battling near the front of the field.
The result comes as a sharp recovery for the team following a disastrous weekend in Mexico City, where both cars suffered early retirements due to power unit failures. While the 12th-place finish leaves Aston Martin in 10th in the constructors’ standings, the raw speed displayed in Sao Paulo suggests the team is closing the gap to the mid-field leaders.
Alonso finds pace in Interlagos
The weekend began with a display of veteran composure. Fernando Alonso utilized his experience in the rain to secure a top-10 qualifying position, a milestone the driver had not reached all year. This positioning allowed him to remain competitive during the initial stint of the race.
Even as the race progressed and the car’s position fluctuated, Alonso remained a constant threat to the established order. Formula 1 reported that the Spaniard managed to overtake Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari on merit during the Grand Prix. He maintained high cornering speeds that kept him in contention with much faster machinery.
“I think it was the best race for the car feeling today,” Alonso said after the race. He described the AMR26 as “phenomenal” in the corners, noting that even while a lap down on the inters during the final five laps, the car was actively battling with the Mercedes drivers.
Alonso offered a somewhat cheeky assessment of the car’s true potential. He suggested that, if not for the deficit on the straights, the Aston Martin might have been approximately one second faster per lap than the Mercedes cars. While the gap in straight-line speed remains a hurdle, the cornering performance marks a distinct shift in the car’s developmental trajectory.
Reliability issues persist for Aston Martin
The technical optimism surrounding Alonso’s performance is tempered by ongoing mechanical fragility. While the Spaniard fought through the field, his teammate Lance Stroll failed to see the checkered flag. As reported by f1-boxbox.com, Stroll retired due to an ERS issue, marking his eighth DNF in the last ten Grand Prix outings.
Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack acknowledged the duality of the weekend. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s ability to outperform competitors with faster cars during both qualifying and the race, despite the disappointment of Stroll’s retirement. Krack noted that the team remains upbeat about the overall direction of the weekend’s performance.
The struggle for constructors’ points
The current standings reflect a team caught between raw speed and mechanical inconsistency. Aston Martin currently sits in 10th place in the constructors’ championship, trailing Williams by five points. For Alonso, the result in Brazil improves his recent form, as his last points-scoring finish occurred in Malaysia.
The technical data suggests a diverging performance profile. The AMR26 has shown it can compete with the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes in high-speed cornering sections, yet it remains vulnerable on long straights and remains prone to electrical failures. If the team can bridge the straight-line speed gap and stabilize the power unit, the leap in the standings could be substantial.
For now, the focus remains on whether the pace seen at Interlagos is a sustainable trend or a localized advantage provided by the specific characteristics of the Brazilian circuit. As the season progresses, the team must reconcile its newfound cornering agility with the reliability required to climb out of the bottom tier of the standings.
“We always look forward to racing here in Sao Paulo – an iconic track with a passionate crowd – so it was great to deliver a strong performance in front of the Brazilian fans,” Krack said.
