Sao Paulo (AFP) – The Spanish Fernando Alonso affirmed this Thursday that Aston Martin has improved in the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season and was confident of achieving a good result in the Brazilian Grand Prix, although he warned that his priority will be to finish the race.
First modification: 06/11/2026 - 16:35
The two-time world champion highlighted the pace shown in Austin (Texas), at the United States Grand Prix, where the team was competitive despite racing with a damaged car, and the speed exhibited last Sunday in Mexico, although he regretted that it was wasted due to reliability problems.
"Lately we have been more competitive," Alonso said at a press conference at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, where the Brazilian Grand Prix will be held, when reviewing the team's progress since the Sepang race in Malaysia.
"We found a good surprise in terms of performance, but reliability was not enough in Mexico," he explained.
Alonso, 45, hopes that these failures are resolved and believes that Interlagos, less demanding in some aspects related to altitude, can favor his options.
In his opinion, a competitive performance for Aston Martin at this point in the season involves placing between 12th and 14th places, from where they can aspire to points if they take advantage of the opportunities in the race.
"We always need to be close to the top of the middle zone if we want to achieve it," he said.
Alonso also congratulated the British Lewis Hamilton, who will contest his 400th race in F1 in Brazil, a figure he described as extraordinary.
"It is an incredible race in Formula 1 and the 400 races have always been contested in very competitive positions," he stated.
The Asturian also referred to A14, the company that manages young motorsport talents, in which he participates directly by guiding the drivers and opening contacts with teams and professionals that he met during his career.
"Motor racing is very demanding. To achieve your goals you need luck, being in the right place at the right time, financial support and a good team environment," he summarized.
Asked what distinguished Ayrton Senna from other Brazilian champions such as Nelson Piquet and Emerson Fittipaldi, Alonso highlighted his charisma and his ability to connect with the public, beyond his victories and titles.
"Ayrton connected more with people, and you either have that or you don't," he said.
© 2026 AFP
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