With the summer break having officially come to a close, Aston Martin have introduced a large upgrades package at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, with the side targeting a strong second half of the season.
Aston Martin have introduced upgrades to their floor and their diffuser, in a bid to help Fernando Alonso return to the podium.
Whilst it’s incredible to think that the Silverstone-based team are third in the Constructors’ Championship, they were disappointing in the closing stages of the first half of the season.
Aston Martin tumbled to fifth in the pecking order in the final few races prior to the summer break, with the British team having fallen behind Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
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They’ve been behind Red Bull all season but were at times their closest competitors.
This was certainly the case in the opening races of the season, with Alonso having claimed six podiums in the first eight races of 2023.
Alonso has led the team brilliantly, whereas Lance Stroll has struggled.
The two-time World Champion has finished ahead of Stroll in 11 of the 12 completed races in 2023, something which has seen him enter Zandvoort third in the Drivers’ Championship.
He’ll need to find some form in the second half of the season to stay in the top three though, with Lewis Hamilton being just a point behind.
Alonso is keen to return to a “more competitive position” in the second half of 2023 and remain in the fight for podiums, whilst he also recognises how close the pack is behind Red Bull.
“Now in the second part of the year, I think we want to go back to a more competitive position,” Alonso said, as reported by Crash.net.
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“I think everything is so tight now behind Red Bull with Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren – so we want to be in that fight until Abu Dhabi. And that’s the aim.”
Aston Martin would’ve arguably entered the second half of the season ahead of Mercedes in the standings if it weren’t for Stroll’s poor performances.
Instead, the British side are at risk of being overtaken by Ferrari, and potentially even McLaren.