Fernando Alonso has praised Aston Martin after concluding a “dream” first half of its 2023 Formula 1 season in Belgium.
The two-time World Champion finished on the podium in six of the opening eight rounds, but the following three races saw the Silverstone outfit suffer an unexpected slump in performance.
However, the Belgian Grand Prix marked a return to the top five for Alonso, something he described as “more normal”.
“I think the car felt fast today, the guys did an incredible job again on the strategy, also on the pit stops,” the Spaniard said of his race.
“We made a few places also yesterday, even if we didn’t finish the race. And yeah, I think today the car felt more normal.
“So we had few thoughts after Hungary after Silverstone. So the team was making [a] few setup changes also to the car. And I think he’d be off today.
“The car felt more normal, more competitive. So yeah. Happy and a good boost for summer.”
With Lance Stroll’s ninth-place finish, Aston Martin added 12 points to its season tally to retain third place in the Constructors’ standings heading into the summer break.
Despite a slowing of momentum at the British marque in recent rounds, Alonso has declared the opening half of the 2023 season a “dream”.
When asked about his thoughts on the first 12 races, he said: “Incredible. A dream first half of the season, you know, we are P3 in the Constructors Championship in front of Ferrari, we are P3 in the Drivers Championship together with Lewis [Hamilton], you know, it was impossible to think this way in Bahrain.
“I think we are happier. We are feeling fast again. Strategy was perfect and the start was good [today], pit stops good as well and the pace of the car. [We are] back in the mix with the top teams.
“I think we can go into the summer break a little more optimistic but with our feet on the ground knowing that we have still lost a bit of competitiveness since the start of the year, so more to come from Aston Martin, hopefully, after the summer.”
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