Fernando Alonso predicts Ferrari as favourites for Italian and Singapore races

The Italian squad, based in Maranello, showed early promise this season, winning two of the first eight races and frequently challenging Red Bull.

However, recent races have seen Ferrari fall behind as McLaren and Mercedes have made significant progress.

With the next race taking place at Monza, Ferrari's home circuit, followed by the Singapore Grand Prix, Alonso believes Ferrari's past performances at similar tracks give them a strong advantage.

"Looking ahead, Ferrari should be the team to beat in the next two races," Alonso remarked.

"Considering their past successes, such as Charles Leclerc's win in Monaco earlier this year, and their strong performances in Monza and Singapore last year, they appear well-positioned to excel."

Alonso, who finished the Dutch Grand Prix in 10th place, admitted the result was better than the car's performance warranted. "Securing a single point was perhaps more than we deserved given our pace," he said.

"However, a solid qualifying performance allowed us to achieve this result."

He added that Aston Martin must improve to remain competitive. "We have struggled in recent races and need to understand the issues to enhance our performance," Alonso concluded.