Aston Martin rebounded strongly from a difficult weekend in Mexico City as Fernando Alonso finished 12th at Interlagos in Brazil, narrowly missing out on scoring points. The Spanish driver used his wet-weather experience on Saturday to qualify inside the top 10 for the first time this season and stayed near the front during the opening stint.
Car Performance and Race Battle
Alonso managed to fight with typical front-runners during the race, which included a clean overtake on Lewis Hamilton. Although he eventually drifted backward, the two-time world champion remained positive about the machine underneath him.
“I think it was the best race for the car feeling today,” Alonso said. “The car was phenomenal in the corners and we were battling with the Ferraris at one point.”
Alonso added that during the final five laps on intermediate tires, he raced alongside the two Mercedes cars despite being a lap down. He noted that their cornering pace meant the car felt significantly faster through the turns than their rivals.
Team Outlook and Reliability Struggles
The strong performance served as a direct response to the Mexico City round, where Aston Martin retired both cars early due to power unit problems. In Sao Paulo, Alonso crossed the finish line ahead of both Alpine cars, both Williams machines, and the two Haas drivers on pure pace.
Teammate Lance Stroll failed to finish the race, however, suffering an ERS issue that marked his eighth DNF in the last 10 Grands Prix.
Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack highlighted the weekend as a positive step forward despite the mixed fortunes for the garage. He explained that the team must be satisfied with the overall outcome because they finished ahead of competitors with faster cars in both qualifying and the race.
Aston Martin sits 10th in the constructors’ standings, trailing Williams by five points as the team works to resolve ongoing reliability issues while improving raw pace.
