Alonso Sees Hungary as a Fresh Start for Aston Martin with Upgraded AMR26

Fernando Alonso has expressed optimism following Aston Martin's inaugural race with the upgraded AMR26 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The veteran driver sees this as a "new start of the championship" for the team in the second half of the season, buoyed by a more competitive performance. In Hungary, the AMR26 showed promise, with Alonso reaching Q3 for the first time this season, a milestone that hadn't been hit previously.

On race day, Lance Stroll finished 13th, marking his best result of the season, with Alonso just behind in 14th. Alonso remarked, "It was good to feel competitive again, and especially at the beginning, we had the pace to keep up with the midfield." He views this outing as a solid baseline for further development.

As the season heads into its summer break, Aston Martin is gearing up for more improvements. They plan to introduce further chassis updates and an enhanced power unit at the Dutch Grand Prix in August. "We’re excited for Zandvoort," Alonso noted, "hoping to be more competitive in terms of straight-line speed. We need that extra speed on the straight, so it feels like a new start of the championship in the second part."

Stroll also shared his positive outlook, appreciating the car's newfound competitiveness with the midfield. "We were in the mix with the midfield for the first time this year," he said. "It was good, and we just have to keep pushing. I think we took a big step this weekend."

With these updates and a refreshed sense of momentum, Aston Martin is setting its sights on better performances in the races to come.