Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin have once again generated excitement after their results in Hungary last weekend. Several Grand Prix races ago, Fernando Alonso hinted at the possibility of achieving a podium finish before the end of the season, and last Sunday, after achieving his best result, he said that they would have two or three opportunities in the remainder of the World Championship. Let’s analyze what opportunities the driver is referring to.
Aston Martin’s options for the season
But let’s not be fooled by last weekend’s great result. Aston Martin has taken an important step forward after a disappointing start to the season, but it would be a big surprise if what we saw last weekend was the norm for the British team. In a season where the grid is very evenly matched, each circuit is a world unto itself and each car is better suited to one type of track than another.
Without going any further, the AMR25 was the worst car in qualifying in Belgium, just one week before achieving its best result in Hungary. It is true that several factors came together, but neither was the AMR25 that bad before, nor is it that good now.
For Aston Martin to reach its full potential, it needs to get to aerodynamic circuits, and there aren’t many left that will benefit them in the remainder of the year. Those with very slow corners or those where speed is key, Alonso will suffer and his goal will be to finish in the points. On tracks similar to Hungary, he will be able to repeat his feat and could even fight for podium places, but for that to happen, several race incidents will have to go his way.
Favorable circuits for Fernando Alonso
We will just have to wait for the summer break to see Fernando Alonso on a favorable circuit. The first race after the break is at the Zandvoort circuit, in the Dutch Grand Prix, a circuit with a little more load than Hungary, which means it should be more favorable. But for Fernando Alonso to be in contention for the podium, several factors will have to come together, as McLaren is out of reach, and in Hungary, Leclerc and Russell were well ahead of the Spaniard.
The second opportunity will be Singapore, a track where aerodynamic load will also be a major factor and where Aston Martin can try to maximize the results of its car.
And the third option could be Lusail or Interlagos, circuits that also have a high load but alternate between very fast sections and slow corners, so he could suffer a little more than on the previous two.
The circuits where he will suffer
But there will also be the opposite side of the coin, and there are three circuits where, a priori, it will be tough going. These are Mexico, Las Vegas, and Monza, circuits where top speed is the real star, and the AMR25 has proven to be one of the worst cars on the grid in this regard. However, with the new updates and once the team learns how to work with them, the impact should be less severe.
Therefore, there will be several opportunities for Fernando Alonso to repeat results similar to those in Hungary, but in order to fight for a podium finish, several circumstances will have to come together in his favor, because, as we have mentioned, McLaren is out of reach, and in principle, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull should be able to beat Aston Martin.