Alonso: 'Coming fifth in the championship hurts a bit'

Aston Martin started the season without high expectations. Certainly in the early stages of the year, the British team were one of the positive surprises. After a weaker second part of the season, and with Fernando Alonso only one driver getting the maximum out of the car, the team fell back in the constructors' standings.

Alonso has repeatedly said it was a great season, in which he regularly amazed not least himself. With a strong year behind him, there is a real chance that the outside world will expect more for next season; even more podium finishes and maybe even a win. "The expectations will be very high. We have some pressure on the shoulders," Alonso realised.

To the media - including GPblog - the Spaniard tells that pressure is only natural. "Well, but this is Formula One. This is not a charity event. We have to have the pressure. We have to deliver. Fifth in the constructors, it hurts a little bit because I think we were better than that, or we were hoping better than that at the beginning of the year."

But Alonso then continued. "On the drivers to finish fourth is a little bit unreal fighting, with the guys that we were fighting. In fact, if we are fifth in the constructors, normally you should be ninth and 10th on the drivers. So yeah, it's a dream season for many people in Aston Martin, including myself."