Aston Martin F1 team surprised the Dutch Grand Prix with an unexpected ninth‑place finish from Fernando Alonso, clinching the spot after an 18th‑position start and an opportunistic one‑stop strategy.
Performance around the corner
At Zandvoort, the AmR26 underpinned its best‑paced corners thanks to a Honda‑powered upgrade that compensates for lower top speed. Alonso’s drive showcased the car’s enhanced brake‑apex handling, which was instrumental in pushing ahead of Pierre Gasly.
Short straights play to the AMR26
Chief trackside officer Mike Krack highlighted the track’s small straights as a decisive factor, noting that races with longer lines such as Monza and Baku are likely to test the car’s straight‑line power limits.
Learning the new package
Krack summed up the team’s approach: “We get to know this package more and more. The large changes mean it takes sessions to master, and we’ll need further events to trim the learning curve.” The upgrade was first introduced at Budapest and the team is still optimizing its setup.
Future prospects
While the AMR26 remains the slowest in flawless speed figures—309.5 km/h against Alpine’s 331.7 km/h—progress on the chassis signals that Aston Martin is inching towards consistency. The team’s confidence grows as more data becomes available.
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