Pit lane start for Dutch GP sprint confirmed with bizarre Fernando Alonso issue resolved

Fernando Alonso will start the sprint at the Dutch Grand Prix from the pit lane after Aston Martin made set-up changes to his AMR26.

The Silverstone-based squad also confirmed that the unusual straight-line mode problem that plagued the two-time F1 drivers' champion during sprint qualifying has now been fixed.

The low-downforce configuration was unavailable to the Spaniard during the shorter grid-setting session, leaving him consigned to the rear of the field at Zandvoort, despite a promising showing during the sole free practice hour earlier in the day.

Alonso was half a second slower than Sergio Perez, who qualified P21, during sprint qualifying, providing a difficult start to a big weekend for Aston Martin — and Honda.

The Japanese manufacturer, in its first year of a works power unit partnership with the Lawrence Stroll-owned operation, has delivered a significant engine upgrade for the round, which should push Alonso and Lance Stroll even further up the grid and back to competitiveness.

It comes following the sizeable chassis and aerodynamic developments introduced to the car at the Hungaroring just before the F1 summer break, which helped pull the team into the midfield, with both drivers enjoying a better Hungarian Grand Prix than the Williams duo of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.

There are further updates to the AMR26 this weekend as well, with Alonso and Stroll, who qualified P19 for the sprint, hoping for more from the grand prix portion of the event.