Fernando Alonso insists it’s “unfair” to compare Aston Martin to established names in Formula 1 like Ferrari or Mercedes, but he’s convinced it can match those sides.
Alonso’s arrival at Aston Martin last term coincided with the team emerging as a surprise front-running fixture as he recorded six podiums in the opening eight rounds.
However, the Silverstone-based camp was unable to sustain that nascent momentum as development missteps and rivals changing concepts saw it slip back to fifth.
Aston Martin has remained in that position this season but regressed more towards the midfield contenders as upgrades have not delivered the anticipated progress.
But Alonso has reiterated how the process Aston Martin is enduring to transition into a big team means it shouldn’t be held to the same standard as others at the top.
“We cannot forget that two years ago we were a team of 300 people, now we are almost 900 under another name,” he told DAZN.
“It is a little unfair that we compare ourselves with Ferrari or Mercedes, very established teams with continuity for many years.
“We are new and yet last year we saw that we can be as strong as them, and this year we will be stronger.
“By 2026, especially with the new rules, we have a chance,” he added. “The same or even better than the rest.”
Aston Martin moved into a new state-of-the-art headquarters at Silverstone last summer as billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll strives to turn the team into title winners.
Alonso, who signed a multi-term contract renewal, is adamant that the British marque is putting the blocks in place to hit the ground running upon the regulation reset.
“I think this team and this project has all the ingredients to be successful,” he stated.
“We have the new campus, the wind tunnel at the end of the year, great sponsors, the car company behind it with the leadership of Lawrence Stroll.
“It is an iconic brand in the history of motorsports. You have to put all the pieces together.”
Aston Martin is said to have made a proposal to outgoing Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey, while Ferrari Technical Director Enrico Cardile is also on Stroll’s radar.
With Aston Martin having prized high-profile engineers such as Dan Fallows beforehand, Alonso has teased that he’s been told that more recruits could be imminent.
“We logically want to improve, I also think that people from outside see in this project something very interesting for the future,” the Spaniard expressed.
“I believe that several of the names that are trying to join Aston Martin is a good sign that the team is attractive.
“Hopefully we have a good technical team, and above all improve the car in the short term.
“I think our managers and Lawrence have to look at the project in two, five or 10 years, but we want the fast car on Sunday, and that’s what we have to focus on.”
