Fernando Alonso has insisted that Aston Martin must look beyond its forthcoming Formula 1 upgrades, saying that it must be a springboard for future improvements.
The Silverstone-based squad has endured a nightmarish season so far, with Alonso taking its only point, coming at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Aston’s AMR26, and its accompanying Honda power unit, has been fraught with issues, rendering it a backmarker alongside newbies Cadillac.
As the team has begun to rid the car of its fundamental issues, such as the extreme vibrations from the Japanese giants’ PU, sights have now been set on implementing major improvements to move the car further up the order.
Long-awaited and highly anticipated upgrades are due for the next race but one, in Hungary, the final race before the sport’s summer break, with the Honda engine upgrade due for the first race after the break, in Holland.
There is no doubt that the team has been cracking the whip on improving matters, and Alonso promulgated the same mentality, insisting it must continue its work for the team’s fans’ sakes.
“I think, for the fans, they want us to win races and to fight for the championship,” he told media, including Motorsport Week at the British Grand Prix last weekend.
“This year, whatever the upgrade is and whatever we can improve, it will never be enough -we will always miss an extra package. So, it has to be clear to the fans that we are working day and night to improve the car.”
‘We will get better. We will win races’
Alonso insisted that there will be vast improvements, but was firm on his belief that the first upgrades suite must be the foundations for further changes to improve the package.
“We will get better. We will win races,” he said. “Not this year, so this is only the first step in the plan; it cannot be the last one.
“So for me, it’s important to feel in Hungary that we understand what the weaknesses of the car are. And we are tackling them, especially on the aero package that is the first one that is coming.
“We’re struggling with very specific things this year behind the wheel, and if those are improved in Hungary and we can drive the car to the maximum.
“Then, I think there is a very clear path and a good momentum that we can take for next year. So that, for me, is the most important thing.”
There has been fluctuating speculation about Alonso’s future with the team, and in the sport as a whole, but these words are signalling a statement of intent from the Spaniard that there, in his mind, is something to aim for in the long-term.
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