“I one hundred percent trust Honda”: Alonso reflects on improvements in his AMR26

Written by Bo Helmus

Alonso still believes that Honda can bring Aston Martin to the top step of the podium | Credit: Formula One

After having struggled for most of the season, Aston Martin finally seemed to have found a solution for their problems. Promising pace in Hungary and points in the Netherlands proved that they were onto something. Unfortunately, it looks like none of that works around Monza. 

In the first practice session, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso were only quicker than Colton Herta, who replaced Checo Pérez for the early session. The Aston Martins were three seconds slower than Charles Leclerc, who set the fastest time. 

In the second free practice, the Cadillacs found themselves in an Aston Martin sandwich, with Alonso being the fastest of the two cars in British racing green. The gap to the quickest man on track was still 2.4 seconds, but more importantly, the gap to Williams, who are standing just above Aston Martin in the standings, was 1.1 seconds. 

All Aston Martin’s hard work seems to have evaporated in the Italian heat. Nonetheless, Alonso has faith that their Honda power unit can relive its glory days and win championships again: “One hundred percent, yes. I think it's a huge commitment from Honda.”

The Aston Martins were short on pace in practice in Italy | Credit: Formula One

Championships on the horizon

“The facilities we have in Japan are one of the best,” the two-time world champion continues. “I think the personnel and the management of the power unit now has been reinforced, as Honda said, and a lot of people that were in the previous project they are in again on this one. I think I have no doubts, and I trust one hundred percent Honda.

“We just need to shortcut somehow that process. Unfortunately, we started with the wrong foot, and we started with this set of regulations, not at the level that we wanted. But I have no doubts that they will get there.

“And as I said many times, we don't want to wait, you know, five years like they did last time, or six years. We want to do it in two years or three years maximum.”

Best finish of the year

Bold words for a team that had to work so hard for a points finish, but everything is possible when you believe in it. Alonso doesn’t want to celebrate last race’s result too much: “Obviously, we cannot be happy with P9, and I think no one is happy in the team.

“It was a nice boost for everyone, knowing that at least the direction that we are taking is the right one, because we changed a lot of things in the car since Budapest, and obviously we know or we feel that in the corners we are getting, you know, in a much better place.

Alonso secured the team’s best finish this year in Zandvoort | Credit: Formula One

“So that gives hope for everyone in Silverstone that if we keep on going on this philosophy and this strategy and this pace of development, eventually we will be one of the fastest on the corners. So we tick one of the boxes.

“Then on the engine side, I think Zandvoort was not a big improvement, to be honest. The driveability was a problem, and the extra power was difficult to feel in Zandvoort.

“Maybe Monza is going to be a truer test for the engine, but still a long way to go, and we need to improve in both ends, in chassis and on engine for next year, and it's a must.”