Fernando Alonso has warned of potential danger should rain fall during the Dutch Grand Prix. The two-time F1 World Champion secured his best qualifying result since the Canadian Grand Prix with fifth at Zandvoort after Aston Martin arrived at the Dutch event with a series of upgrades - including an updated floor as it looks to recover its strong early season form. Silverstone-based Aston Martin had started the season in blistering form, with Alonso picking up six podiums in the early stages before improvements for Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren saw the team slip backwards in the pecking order. But Alonso is confident that it is a step in the right direction after analysing the data throughout the weekend. “We did all of our tests, feeling wise the car felt better,” the Spaniard told media including RacingNews365.com. “But also the data confirmed that the new upgrade was working as expected in the wind tunnel, so definitely a step forward. I think that the P5 is also thanks to that extra performance that we had in the car. “Thanks to everyone in the factory, I know that they've been working really flat out in July. We had the four races in July plus all the work in the factory to produce these parts because in August, with the factory being closed we could not make any steps. "So everything was made in July and it was a very intense month for everyone.” Detailing where Aston Martin was looking to make improvements, Alonso said: “I think there were some areas that we were not strong enough, traction and grip on the corners generally. “We seemed to struggle a little bit for a couple of events now and I think [at Zandvoort] it felt better. “But also as I said the data, which is the most important part these days, confirmed that the expectations from the wind tunnel, they were true on track so this is very important for future development.”
Danger warning.
Traffic during a wet qualifying was an issue for several drivers, with Yuki Tsunoda copping a penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton. Alonso added that with the field packed together on a tight track, he is hoping for a dry race to ensure there are no visibility concerns. "The first three laps for me, I didn't put the put a lap on the board in Q1,” he explained. “But it was not only for me obviously. That was also a moment with Lewis there in the last corner. “It is a very short track, no visibility. So even for Sunday, I hope for a dry race just because visibility... it is the most dangerous part of racing at the moment.”
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