Alonso dare not put Aston on P2 yet: 'Only then will we know'

Fernando Alonso is gearing up for the race weekend in Saudi Arabia after a surprise podium finish. The joy was great after Bahrain, but Alonso knows there is still a lot of work to do for Aston Martin.

The British team managed to surprise friend and foe at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Alonso and also Lance Stroll showed impressive race pace on Sunday. Alonso drove that pace to the podium, leaving Mercedes and Ferrari drivers behind. However, the Spaniard knows that the team has to keep working hard for such results.

''It will be a very different challenge there as it is a completely different circuit to what we experienced in the opening race. We spent two weeks in Bahrain, and all became very familiar with the circuit and conditions so the learning curve from this Friday will be a lot steeper,'' said Alonso in the Aston Martin press release.

''Realistically I do not think it will be until after Australia that we will know better where the overall performance stands, as by then we will have had three very different race weekends on varied circuits in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. Our feet remain on the ground and hard work is needed to maintain this start and try to get another strong result this weekend,'' concluded the two-time world champion.