Fernando Alonso disheartened by Aston Martin's F1 season slump

Aston Martin have faced a tough campaign, scoring only 73 points, which was significantly behind their total from the same point last season by 123 points, despite having two extra races this year.

The previous season saw Aston Martin as Red Bull's closest competitors, with Alonso securing seven podium finishes in the first 13 rounds of 2023.

Alonso frequently challenged for victories, but Max Verstappen and Red Bull's dominance proved insurmountable. This season, however, saw a dramatic shift, with seven different drivers claiming race wins. Unfortunately for Aston Martin, the end of Red Bull's dominance came too late.

Reflecting on the season, Alonso said, "It's the way it is. Last year, we were the best of the rest, but Red Bull was unbeatable. They never had a bad pit stop, a crash, or a bad qualifying session. We were just third or second all the time."

He recalled, "All the pictures of my podiums last year have Checo and Max with me. First and second, or first and third, and I was in the middle."

Even when Red Bull showed signs of weakness, particularly in Singapore, Aston Martin couldn't seize the opportunity due to their own issues. The team's struggles began after a mid-season upgrade package, from which they have yet to recover fully.

The best result this season for Alonso and Aston Martin has been a fifth-place finish in Saudi Arabia.

Alonso acknowledged the team's responsibility in their current position. "Things changed a little bit and we were not there to take the opportunity," he conceded. "We said many times last year, we need to keep up, we need to be always hunting them, and when they have any crack, we have to take the opportunity.

"And when they started to have any kind of problem, we were not there anymore. So that's up to us that we were not able to keep up with that pace."

The Formula 1 season has entered its summer break, pausing until Friday, 23 August.