P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Alonso: Aston Martin faces "tricky period" as it makes next step in F1
Aston Martin had a successful year in 2023, with Fernando Alonso achieving eight podium finishes, including three second place finishes. Despite this progress, the team only moved from seventh to fifth in the constructors’ championship due to Lance Stroll’s lower performance. Alonso acknowledges that the team exceeded his expectations in his first year, but he believes that further progress will be challenging. He emphasizes that while it may be easier to become a top 10 contender, the real difficulty lies in finding that extra edge and being innovative in the next two or three years. Aston Martin learned from their experiments with different aero packages and has a better understanding of how to develop the AMR24. However, the team also needs to stay flexible as the sport evolves rapidly.
