Aston Martin left the Formula 1 Hungarian GP with positive signs, after introducing its new update package. Lance Stroll finished 13th and Fernando Alonso 14th, but the team highlighted the progress shown throughout the weekend.
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The performance is considered important because, according to the team members themselves, the car returned to compete for positions in the midfield after a long series of very complicated races. Furthermore, new updates are already planned for the next race, in Zandvoort, after the category’s break.
Stroll stated that the feeling behind the wheel was one of the most encouraging of the season: “I felt good in the car today, and it was good to have the feeling that we were racing again. We are not yet where we want to be, so there is a lot of work to do, but we are in the fight now,” he said.
The Canadian also highlighted the potential of the new package: “The more laps we complete with this setup, the more performance we will unlock. It’s the most exciting update we’ve had in a long time, and we have more news coming for Zandvoort, so it’s positive to see that we are heading in the right direction,” he said.
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Alonso shared the same assessment and considered the weekend an important basis for the rest of the championship: “It was a good step forward for us this weekend, so it’s a solid foundation for us to build on when we return after the break. The car performed well in the race and we were able to fight with the cars around us, which is very positive after some difficult weekends,” added the Spaniard.
Team principal, Adrian Newey, reinforced that the data obtained on track confirmed internal expectations: “It is clear that we have taken a very encouraging first step with the update, and this progress is thanks to the work of the entire team at Silverstone. Another positive point is that the performance was aligned with our predictions, showing a good correlation between our updated simulation tools and what we saw on track,” he commented.
Newey concluded by saying that Aston Martin returns from the break with a clear direction for its development. According to him, the lessons learned in Hungary provided a solid foundation for the continuation of the work, with new updates already planned for Zandvoort, including the anticipation surrounding the Honda power unit update.
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