Fernando Alonso has admitted to being "a little bit disappointed" with how Aston Martin's F1 season had unfolded thus far.
The Silverstone-based team has fallen behind the top four teams and is no longer able to consistently fight for the higher reaches of the points-paying positions - a far cry from the start to the start of the year it had in 2023.
The Spanish driver was able to lead the team to six podium finishes in the opening eight rounds. This term, is has zero in the first 14.
Alonso and the team's best result was a fifth-place at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. At Spa-Francorchamps, the two-time drivers' champion had to rely on an ambitious one-stop tyre strategy to keep hold of eighth place, where he started the race.
"A little bit disappointed," the 43-year-old conceded to media including RacingNews365 when asked to reflect on the first half of the current F1 season.
"We cannot hide the fact that we are fighting today with Williams, AlphaTauri [RB] and Alpine, and last year, we were looking to the top four teams - now they are out of reach, and we are just defending from the guys behind."
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Aston Martin began the current regulations cycle on the back foot. As F1 ushered in the contemporary ground effects era, the team found itself at the rear of the field.
Whilst it started to turn results around during the back end of 2022, its start to last year proved the Silverstone outfit had taken a considerable jump forward over the winter break.
It slipped back slightly in the second half of the campaign, but remained in the hunt for strong points finishes and the occasional podium.
In the early rounds of 2024, Aston Martin found itself in a battle with Mercedes to be the fourth-best team on the grid.
However, whilst the Brackley-based squad has moved forward and returned to winning ways, Aston Martin is now languishing at the shallow end of the five teams.
"Even at the beginning of the year. In qualifying especially, we were always top five, top six, in the mix," Alonso added.
"So definitely a lot of work to do for us in [the] summer break and the second part of the year. We will not give up, but we need to work."
Also interesting:
In the latest episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, Ian, Sam and Nick look back at last weekend's Belgian GP and look ahead to the summer break! George Russell's disqualification is discussed as well as what Red Bull needs to do to prevent McLaren beating it to the constructors’ crown.
Rather watch than listen to the podcast? Click here.
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