(Motorsport-Total.com) – Aston Martin has brought a huge upgrade package for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Accordingly, Fernando Alonso in Budapest is confronted with the question of how the B-version of the AMR26 feels and whether the new parts also serve their purpose.
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“Well, it felt good,” was the 44-year-old’s assessment on Friday. Alonso finished the first free practice in 13th position, while at the end of FP2 he was in 19th position.
“Basically, it’s what we expected, based on the numbers and the correlation,” explains the two-time world champion. “For the future, that’s of course very encouraging, for upcoming upgrades and next year’s car.”
Alonso emphasizes that they were able to close the gap to the top midfield teams, especially in the corners. In the Constructors’ World Championship, Aston Martin is in tenth position with a single World Championship point before the race in Hungary.
“I believe,” says Alonso, “that we can match the pace [of the best midfield teams] in the corners. We just have to keep working hard. Of course, there’s still a lot to do with the chassis and the engine. As I said, this is the first of many [steps].”
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“But I believe,” says the two-time world champion, “we have a good atmosphere in the team and know that we delivered what we expected.”
Nevertheless, Friday at the Hungaroring was anything but smooth for Aston Martin. The AMR26 again struggled with vibration problems in the first free practice. In addition, Lance Stroll had to abandon the session due to suspension damage and could not participate in the second free practice at all.
Team boss Adrian Newey, like his top driver, emphasizes that this is only the first step of the upgrade. Further parts are to follow in Baku and Monza, while Honda has planned an expansion stage of the power unit for Zandvoort.
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