Fernando Alonso's Worrying Shift: Are Aston Martin Falling Behind?
Fernando Alonso is sounding the alarm after another disappointing race weekend for Aston Martin at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix. Despite a promising start to the season, the team’s performance has been on a steady decline.
Monaco has historically been kind to Alonso, but this past weekend was a different story entirely. Finishing in 11th place, he once again failed to secure any points, mirroring his struggles at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix where he finished a dismal 19th. This marks the second consecutive race where Alonso has missed the top 10, a far cry from the opening six races where he was consistently in the points.
A Season of Contrasts
The early season saw a clear delineation between the top teams and the rest of the field. Aston Martin had positioned themselves amongst giants like Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes. However, the recent races have seen a closing gap. Red Bull remains a frequent visitor in the top 10, Haas has had their moments of glory, and Alpine and Williams have shown significant improvement.
This tightening competition has left Aston Martin struggling to keep pace. Both Alonso and his teammate Lance Stroll fell short of earning points in Monaco. The team attempted an alternate strategy to shake things up, with Alonso playing the team role diligently. He backed up the pack to create a gap for Stroll, hoping the Canadian could snatch the last point on offer. Unfortunately, Stroll's collision ended those hopes, leaving him to finish 14th.
Mounting Frustrations
Post-race, Alonso did not mince words, describing the weekend as tough and filled with misfortune. “It was a tough race, unlucky again – the whole weekend it seemed like we were in the wrong moment always," he lamented. The race strategy was to start on hard tires for a long initial stint, but a red flag threw their plans into disarray, forcing a switch to mediums for the remainder of the race.
Alonso’s frustrations are not unwarranted. The team seems to be reverting to midfield status rather than contending with the front-runners. “We seem to go back to the midfield instead of looking at the front runners, but these things can change quickly,” he added, holding on to a glimmer of hope for future improvements through potential car upgrades.
The Road Ahead
Lance Stroll's form isn't much brighter. He has only managed to score points in three races this season and his 14th place finish in Monaco speaks volumes about the current struggles of Aston Martin. The team has already rolled out various upgrades this season, including significant ones in Japan and Imola. The Japanese upgrades momentarily put them in contention with Mercedes, but since then, rivals have also introduced their own successful enhancements, leaving Aston Martin behind.
“We don’t seem to be super competitive right now so we have to sort some stuff out and find some pace in the car,” Stroll echoed after the race. Team Principal Mike Krack also pointed out, “It's been another tough day, compromised by qualifying outside of the points scoring positions on Saturday. Now is the time to regroup as a team, focus on improvements and come back stronger in Canada.”
While Canada was a strong race for Aston Martin last season with Alonso securing a podium in Montreal, replicating that feat under the current circumstances seems highly unlikely. The Silverstone-based team has its work cut out for them if they hope to claw their way back into competitive form.
