Fernando Alonso told blunt reality about Aston Martin progress

Fernando Alonso has been told that he might need to wait over a year before Aston Martin do “something special”.

Alonso penned a new deal with the F1 team which lasts until the end of 2026, when he will be 45-years-old.

But they have fallen behind Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari this year.

Last weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, Alonso was restricted to eighth and teammate Lance Stroll was 11th.

“It was a difficult one,” Aston Martin’s reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne told the F1 Nation podcast. “We all expected to have a more competitive weekend because of our characteristics of the car.

“We thought we’d have more straight-line speed. We were on the back foot.

“With Fernando, we were in No Man’s Land. He had a victory of the second group of teams, let’s say. We were far behind the leaders, ahead of the remaining teams.

“Unfortunately that is the reality that we’re in, at the moment.

“There is a long road ahead of us.”

Alonso had expressed that he wants to use the remainder of this year, after the summer break, to iron out flaws for Aston Martin to attack again in 2025.

But Vandoorne said: “I don’t think we’re there yet. It will take a bit of time.

“We can still do a lot in the second half of the year to make things better for next season.

“Pushing through upgrades is hard but it’s more about understanding the philosophy of these cars, what it needs. What characteristics it needs.

“That’s what the top teams are doing well, they know which areas to tackle and what to improve.

“We bring things that work but others that don’t quite work. That’s the area to focus on.”

Aston Martin have made no secret of their ambitious plans, which include tying down two-time F1 champion Alonso to a longer deal.

Billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll is overseeing a new headquarters at Silverstone, and in two years they will partner with Honda for the new engine regulations.

The team are also in the mix to bring in Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s chief technical officer.

Vandoorne explained: “The new wind tunnel is not ready yet. By the end of the year we’ll probably be in a position to use it.

“It will be a benefit. But, in the beginning, it will be challenging because it’s a new tool.

“There will be a new way of working within the system. So it won’t be better from Day One.

“We are building a new sim, as well, which will be ready towards the end of the year.

“We are putting in the possibilities to be a successful team. Next year is when we need to build a strong foundation for 2026.

“2026 is a big year, the regulation change. We have Honda coming on board with the team. It will be a huge challenge but we have an opportunity to create something special.”

Alonso will be 45, by then. But he has already signalled his intention to back his team’s grand plans by putting pen to paper on a bumper new deal.