Alonso: Aston Martin “cannot get stressed” about dip in F1 form

After a run of podium finishes in the early part of the season, Alonso has had a tougher time in the last two races, but he was satisfied to earn some decent points with seventh place in the British GP.

The Spaniard indicated that the result actually flattered the team and was better than what he had expected heading into the race.

“We weren’t fast enough in any session on the weekend, so it was not different in the race,” he said.

“We struggled a little bit with the pace, but we maximised the strategy, we tried to stretch the stint on the medium at the beginning, and then there was a safety car, we chose the soft because it was just a short run at the end.

“I think it was a good strategy and yeah, thanks to all those calls I think we took seventh place that was maybe a little bit higher than the pace that we had.”

Alonso suggested that various factors contributed to the team’s performance at Silverstone.

“Probably is a little bit of everything,” he said. “Out-developed a little bit in terms of a few teams brought some significant upgrades lately. Track specific, I think here was not our best layout for the package that we have.

“We need to see also the tyres, obviously the first race that we have this new construction. So things that maybe we need to analyse more in detail but, all in all, I think we saved a very difficult weekend. Hopefully in Hungary we are again competitive.”

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Aston had new parts at Silverstone and team boss Mike Krack has promised that more are coming at each of the next three races.

Asked by Motorsport.com if they couldn’t come soon enough, Alonso replied by playing down the arms race.

“To be honest I’m not too stressed about the development,” he said. “The car is better than expected this year. We are fighting for things that we could probably never dream at the beginning of the year.

“So now if we can keep in the top 10 and fighting with the top guys, it’s great. But I think we have to focus as well on the long-term picture.

“We cannot get stressed every weekend if we are seventh or if we are fourth or if we are on the podium. We need to be very pragmatic and very relaxed about our performance.”

He added: “If someone else is faster than us we cannot do anything. We just need to understand, we need to learn from the things we do, and be in a way happy with the position we are, being happy with P7, while last year we were dead last here.”

Indicating how form can be track-specific, he said: “I think Lando [Norris] was P6 here in Silverstone last year. [Nicholas] Latifi was P10 here last year. So let’s see in Abu Dhabi.

“But two races ago in Canada we were fighting for the win, so it’s not that the first races we were on the podium and then we step back. Three weeks ago we were fighting in Canada for the win, so I’m relaxed.”

Alonso also believes that Aston has sufficient momentum to stay ahead of McLaren in the world championship battle.

“They’ve been quicker the whole weekend, so when [Oscar Piastri] was behind I knew that it was not worth spending too much time defending, he had more pace,” he said.

“They were fast this weekend, so happy to see Lando as well on the podium and Lewis [Hamilton]. And let’s see in Hungary if we can come back to our normal pace.

“They are a lot of points behind, so we should have enough pace to keep the distance with them, also it’s not that they will be always on the podium.

“We are dividing all the points between all of us, so it’s difficult always to have a big run on anyone, so with McLaren maybe in the constructors’ we have enough advantage.

“But obviously we need to keep an eye. And with Mercedes and Ferrari things going to be tight until the end. But this and Austria were the worst weekends I think for us so far, and we saved quite well.”