Alonso: Aston package needs to be optimized after tough US GP

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Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin has worked to do to optimize its AMR24 package ahead of F1's upcoming races after the Spaniard endured a tough uphill battle in last weekend's US Grand Prix.

Alonso's race at The Circuit of the Americas saw the F1 veteran line up 7th on the grid – a position he believes that flattered his car's potential – only to clock in well out of the points in 13th place at the end of the day.

Like in Saturdays' Sprint event, which he finished a lowly P18, Alonso's Grand Prix proper was another story of regression for the two-time world champion.

“It was a tough race for us today and we dropped back to a few places from our starting position,” Alonso explained.

“I think we outperformed the car's natural position in qualifying and we knew it would be an uphill battle to stay inside the top 10.”

Read also: F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 United States Grand Prix

With few positives to glean from the team's Austin weekend, there was a sense of urgency to move on to Mexico.

However, the tight schedule between races meant limited time for in-depth analysis and troubleshooting. Despite this, Alonso would have the opportunity to rectify the issues and aim for a better result in the upcoming race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

“[We'll] try to understand what we can do better for Mexico,” Alonso said. “Optimizing the package will be needed at this point because we didn't perform well enough. Work to do in the next three days.”

As for Lance Stroll, the Canadian's hopes of advancing from P1 on the grid were dashed during the Safety Car restart.

Having opted for a hard-to-medium tire strategy, which proved successful for many other drivers, Stroll struggled to maintain his rubber's temperatures during the race's neutralization, which led to an off-track excursion on the restart that dropped him further down the order .

“Just lacking pace compared to the others,” was his assessment. “I had a messy restart, fell to the back with a big snap in Turn 10 and then I went on the grass and lost a bunch of positions.

“But even after that, [I was] struggling for pace and couldn't come back through the field. “We have a lot of work ahead of us for sure.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.