Fernando Alonso is already looking ahead with enthusiasm to the 2025 Formula 1 season after concluding a challenging 2024 campaign with back-to-back points finishes for Aston Martin.
The two-time world champion ended the season on a high note, finishing ninth at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a result he described as “important” for the team after a year of ups and downs.
Alonso and Aston Martin, who enjoyed a series of podium finishes in the opening races of 2023, faced a tougher challenge this year, with their best result being the Spaniard’s fifth place in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the struggles, the team managed to secure fifth place in F1’s Constructors’ championship, although a whopping 374 points behind fourth-placed team Mercedes.
Speaking after the finale at Yas Marina, Alonso praised the Silverstone-based outfit for their unrelenting effort throughout the season and expressed optimism for the future.
“Yeah, they were important,” Alonso said, referring to the points in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. “I think to finish on a positive note in Qatar and Abu Dhabi – two double points – feels good.
“I think [it’s] well deserved as well because the team here on trackside never stopped working and extracting the maximum from the cars so, yeah, [I] did enjoy today’s race.
“[There was] quite a lot of action, especially on the first lap and, yeah, ready to go for 2025 with a little bit of a reset on things.
“Also the car, I think we learned a lot of things this year that we need to apply into next year’s project so, yeah, looking forward.
“But in Formula 1 there are not many miracles – you need to be patient, you need to find that sweet spot in the car, you need to find that upgrade that really awakens everything in these ground-effect cars.”
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Alonso highlighted Aston Martin’s ability to adapt and persevere, even when faced with setbacks.
“I think we had some difficulties this year, more than last year, and the team [were] responding well to those adversities and to those challenges,” he noted.
“This weekend is a good example, we were not happy with the car but it’s not that we accept it – we just race. We’d had a slow pace, we found more performance in the car and we still finished in the points, so we are never giving up. That’s the way to go.”
Alonso’s positive outlook for the upcoming season is bolstered by Aston Martin’s acquisition of legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey, who is set to join the team in March 2025.
His arrival is expected to provide a significant boost to the team’s technical expertise and competitiveness.
While the F1 veteran was satisfied with his epilogue in Abu Dhabi, his teammate Lance Stroll endured a tougher finale. The Canadian finished 14th at Yas Marina, hampered by a five-second penalty for track limits violations.
Reflecting on the race, Stroll expressed his eagerness to reset and return stronger next year.
“Yeah, we were racing, but [I’m] looking forward to some time off and [to then] come back next year,” Stroll said.
Aston Martin’s 2024 season may not have matched the heights of the previous year, but Alonso’s optimism and the team’s determination offer hope for the future.
With lessons learned and the arrival of Newey to steer their technical development, Aston Martin is setting its sights on a more competitive campaign in 2025.
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