Fernando Alonso admits Aston Martin struggles: “We simply didn’t have the right pace in Baku”. Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin’s penalty in the Azerbaijan GP didn’t influence the race outcome.

Another double zero for Aston Martin

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix confirmed Aston Martin’s ongoing struggles, with both drivers finishing outside the points for the third consecutive race since Zandvoort, the first event after the summer break. Ahead of the weekend, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso had emphasized the need for a flawless performance at a circuit like Baku, aiming to maintain his streak of top-10 finishes on the city track.

Insufficient pace

However, Alonso was caught out at the start by Oscar Piastri, who jumped the lights from a grid position ahead of him. Alonso’s reaction to Oscar Piastri’s early launch led to a five-second penalty from the race directors. “It was a difficult race, without any major incidents, and we simply didn’t have the right pace,” explained the 44-year-old, who finished 15th. “At the start, I reacted to Oscar’s move, and unfortunately I got the penalty. In the end, I don’t think it affected our race because we simply didn’t have the performance to compete. We hope our car will be better suited to Singapore and that we can fight for points again.” – the former Ferrari driver pointed out.

Wrong strategy

Despite the penalty, Alonso still finished ahead of teammate Lance Stroll, who crossed the line in 17th. The double non-points finish further increases the gap between Aston Martin and their rivals, with the team now sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, 10 points ahead of their closest competitors. “We stayed longer on the medium tyres hoping to take advantage of a Safety Car that never appeared, which limited our opportunities and what we could achieve,” Stroll added. “Now we look ahead to Singapore, hoping to be more competitive and have a stronger race weekend.”