This is why Alonso believes Aston Martin will be quickly back in the mix

Aston Martin shocked everyone in 2023. They came into the season after finishing 2022 seventh in the constructor's standings, scoring 55 points across the whole season. By round three of 2023, they had already bettered that total by 10 points. However, as McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull all improved at the top of the grid, Aston Martin fell away. 

Despite getting podiums in the Netherlands and Brazil, Alonso and the team never looked as quick as they did after the Canadian Grand Prix. This season, they haven't challenged anywhere near the front, with the team's best result being Alonso's P5 in Jeddah. 

Alonso is still confident about the project at the Silverstone-based team. Speaking to GPblog and others in Monaco, Alonso said "It still shows that this is a complex sport. McLaren, until Austria, race seven last year, they were fighting to get out of Q1."

The Spaniard was complimentary towards the team at Woking, praising the turnaround of their 2023 season and their start of this season. "They have a great team. Great people. Great facilities. A great brand as well behind."

Where were Alonso and Aston Martin this time last season? 

Monaco was a great weekend for Alonso last season. Alonso qualified second and finished the race in the same position, but perhaps Alonso should have taken more from the weekend. If not for a stunning lap from the eventual race winner Max Verstappen, Alonso would have been on pole. The gap between the pair was less than a tenth. Alonso's teammate Lance Stroll was only 14th. 

"Last year until, let's say, mid-season, we were the team to look at and to copy," Alonso said. 

Despite their struggles so far this season, Alonso remains confident in the team, and in the team owner Lawrence Stroll. Stroll took over the Silverstone F1 team in 2018. After leading an investment into Aston Martin in early 2020, Stroll became executive chairman of the company. As part of the deal, Stroll rebranded his Formula 1 team into Aston Martin F1, returning the brand to the sport after 60 years. 

Since then, the team has rebuilt its facilities at Silverstone, moving into them in May 2023. Construction is still continuing on the second and third aspects of the project, which includes a new wind tunnel, simulator, and exhibition space set for completion at the end of the year. 

"I think different to other teams, we have a great leader with Lawrence," Alonso said: "We have not only the owner of the team but also a very extremely competitive person behind. We will fix things quicker than other teams, thanks to him."