Aston Martin is now almost the slowest team on the entire Formula 1 grid.
This is not the assessment of a paddock commentator but that of the team's driver and double world champion Fernando Alonso himself.
The 43-year-old Spaniard missed the last two Thursday “media days” in Mexico and now Brazil, officially due to an intestinal infection.
Speaking on Saturday about his recovery from his illness, Alonso told reporters: “I feel good, I've recovered well and in the last two or three days I'm back to normal.”
Less fit is its 2024 car, whose latest upgrade package had to be almost entirely removed after a disappointing debut in Austin.
“We changed some things on the car, but there’s not much positive, is there?” said Alonso at Interlagos, where he qualified 16th for the sprint and finished the race even further back.
“We have been the eighth or ninth force for about eight races and that is not going to change. In the next three races we will also be at the back of the grid.”
When asked why Aston Martin was struggling so much, Alonso replied: “The more corners there are, the harder it is for us. When there's a straight, we usually do pretty well – it's just about accelerating and keeping the steering wheel straight.”
“It's been a difficult time. We've been at the back of the pack for eight or nine races now. There have been small miracles like in Baku and Singapore, but I think we can now put into perspective how good these results are were miraculous.”
Alonso admits it is a worrying fall for the Silverstone-based team, which will benefit from the arrival of Adrian Newey next year.
“Well, from fighting for the podium last year to last place now,” he said when asked to describe the experience of the past 18 months. “But we have to try to improve. We can't give up.”
“At the same time, we have to accept it and resign ourselves to it in a way. You can't make a miracle happen from one weekend to the next.”
“In Mexico we were the ninth or tenth team and five days later we still are. So we have to think a little more about next year.”
