By: The Kuala Lumpur circuit gave us plenty to discuss, along with many memorable moments. One of them was the excellent race delivered by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin.
The Spaniard started 12th and crossed the line eighth, making the most not only of his great qualities but also of the retirement of George Russell (Mercedes) and the mistake made by Lando Norris (McLaren) behind the Safety Car. It was worth its weight in gold for the Anglo-Canadian team's season.
Aston Martin: huge progress in such a disastrous year
With Adrian Newey leading the design department and Honda — world champions with Red Bull and Verstappen from 2021 to 2024 — it goes without saying that more was expected from Lawrence Stroll's team. However, having established that the overall job had been virtually disastrous, the team rolled up its sleeves and, thanks to the upgrades introduced in Hungary and the new engine available from the Netherlands, the improvements have been clear — and they have been enormous.
The biggest weakness remains the power unit — although it is obviously not the only one. That was evident in Italy and Azerbaijan, where the team struggled badly to keep up with the others. Now, if the team can make the right steps, because competing for points will require an almost perfect job from one Grand Prix to the next, Alonso could begin to think about overtaking other rivals: drivers who, for a long time — especially at the start of the year — had cars more competitive than his.
Alonso will seek challenges to stay motivated
For Aston Martin and Fernando, it is difficult to think big and believe they can consistently finish in the top 10. However, in the only three occasions on which he has reached that target, Alonso has scored seven points, allowing him to move ahead of Albon (Williams) and draw level with Sainz (Williams), Hulkenberg (Audi) and Ocon (Haas).
Alonso's next step will be to target Bortoleto (Audi), who is on 10 points, and get as close as possible to Bearman (Haas), who is on 20.
Beating both Audis could be a difficult but somehow achievable objective, while climbing as high as Bearman would mean not only doing his part, but unlocking even more potential from the car. That is an eventuality unlikely to happen at this stage of the year.
Overtaking both Audi drivers while chasing Haas will certainly be among Alonso's objectives for the end of the season, something that will prepare him and keep him motivated for the 2027 world championship. A year in which there is hope that, with Aston Martin, he can once again fight for something more than a handful of points.
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