P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Alonso: Japan was “inside the top five” best weekends of F1 career
Alonso qualified fifth at Suzuka and finished sixth, overtaken by Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in the race. He successfully defended his position against George Russell’s Mercedes and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren towards the end of the race. Alonso considers the Aston Martin AMR24 the fifth quickest car at the moment, leading to better than expected results for himself and the team. He admitted to being unsure about holding off Piastri and Russell, despite believing it was his best weekend in a long time. Aston Martin boss Mike Krack agrees that the team is surpassing expectations, despite Alonso highlighting the need for improved performance moving forward. Alonso acknowledged that there are plans for further car upgrades in the pipeline as they aim to enhance their pace.
