Alonso Optimistic for Aston Martin’s Dutch GP Upgrade Before Sprint Qualifying Fell Apart

Fernando Alonso experienced a dramatic turnaround in his Aston Martin's performance during Sprint Qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix, going from a leading driver in practice to the last man on the timing sheet. The team's upgrade package appeared to help in practice, but Alonso never got a clean attempt to prove it. In FP1, he set a 1:14.511 on the soft compound, covering 25 laps.

Stroll followed him in FP1, finishing 18th with a 1:15.199 from 24 laps. During Sprint Qualifying, Alonso set a 1:16.014 with medium tyres, placing 22nd, while Stroll managed 1:15.391, 19th. Alonso was notably slower, trailing by 0.623 seconds, 1.286 seconds behind Oliver Bearman's 17th-place benchmark of 1:14.728, and 4.447 seconds behind George Russell's pole time of 1:11.567.

Alonso attributed the poor qualifying performance to drivability problems, engine driveability issues pushing on the brakes, and the inability to use the SLM (Straight-Line Mode) system for rear-wings. Despite these challenges, Alonso acknowledged that the free practice session felt okay, indicating a step forward for the team. However, the team's attempt to separate the effects of the Honda update from the drivability troubles and the failed rear-wing system left the results frustratingly inconclusive.