Fernando Alonso urges Aston Martin to ‘close the gap’ to top teams ahead despite scoring points in Canada

Fernando Alonso insisted Aston Martin nonetheless “want to shut that hole” to the groups forward of them, regardless of the Spanish star scoring in each Spain and Canada after not managing a single level throughout the opening eight races of 2025.

Alonso certified an excellent sixth in Montreal and delivered a seventh-place end within the race – solely shedding out to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari as Alonso got here residence on the entrance of the midfield. The turnaround has been stark, with luck lastly smiling down on the Spaniard too.

Having already endured greater than his fair proportion of reliability issues, Canada was an easy weekend for Alonso, along with his crew nailing their tyre technique all through the periods to make sure he had the suitable compound to qualify properly.

That set him up for a tilt at factors, and regardless of getting slowed down in visitors after his first pit cease, he at all times appeared set to attain on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

“Fairly comfortable, I feel the automotive was good the entire weekend,” Alonso stated. “Truly, the race was most likely our least robust level of the weekend.

“Because of the sixth place yesterday in Qualifying, we saved the tempo initially of the race and we opened a niche that was somewhat bit our security web for the pit stops and issues like that. Good weekend, we executed properly and good factors for the crew.”

The upgrades that Aston Martin delivered to the automotive firstly of that European triple-header appear to have made a big distinction as, earlier than that time, Alonso had not certified in Q3 all season, with a better of P12.

For the reason that upgrades he has made Q3 at each race, however the Spaniard was eager to not get forward of himself – particularly contemplating that, relative to a few seasons in the past when he was preventing for podiums and even a possible win, Aston Martin nonetheless have work to do.

“It provides us somewhat bit extra confidence to push however there are nonetheless some weaknesses within the automotive because the starting that we nonetheless not solved utterly. Particularly on the race tempo on Sunday we see the issues.

“Nonetheless numerous work to do, immediately we led the midfield however the high groups are nonetheless fairly distant and we have to shut that hole.”

Lance Stroll was unable to attain factors on residence soil after a troublesome comeback weekend in Canada. He exited Qualifying in Q1, after which discovered himself serving a 10-second penalty throughout the race for forcing one other driver off monitor when he was battling with Pierre Gasly, ultimately ending seventeenth.

“It has been an extended, tough day and I am not so happy with this weekend general,” Stroll defined after the race. “It was at all times going to be troublesome beginning the race from P17, however I additionally did not really feel just like the automotive had the tempo immediately to make up any positions.”

The 2 drivers are experiencing contrasting seasons – Stroll having scored within the opening two races earlier than starting a barren run, whereas Alonso solely scored within the final two weekends. However Aston Martin will likely be relieved that Alonso’s factors in Canada have saved them forward of a resurgent Kick Sauber in the intervening time in the Teams’ Championship.