Fernando Alonso issues fresh Aston Martin hope after key breakthrough

Fernando Alonso is hopeful Aston Martin can make strong steps forward after collecting uninterrupted data on his car at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Alonso ran to the very end of the race at the Suzuka Circuit, marking the first time this year that Aston Martin has completed a race distance.

He was the only driver from the Silverstone-based squad to cross the finish line as Lance Stroll retired with an issue.

However, Alonso is taking encouragement from the team finally being able to reach the end of a grand prix after its struggles at previous rounds and pre-season testing.

“We have many boxes to tick, and this was one of them, finishing a race distance,” Alonso told media including RacingNews365.

“We didn't manage in Australia, China or at the test, so it's the very first time. 

“Hopefully the team has enough data now to understand a little bit more [about] the car and get in a better place for the next one.”

Alonso retired last time out in China due to vibrations in the car, which caused him serious discomfort.

The two-time champion revealed the vibrations were back in Japan during the race - albeit to a lesser scale.

When asked how the car was physically to drive, Alonso said: “Yeah, there were some vibrations. 

“They will not disappear from up in the air, but more manageable and enough to complete the race.”