F1 pundit claims Canadian GP podium 'HURT' Aston Martin

max verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Adrian Newey, Canadian Grand Prix — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

F1 pundit claims Canadian GP podium 'HURT' Aston Martin

Spanish journalist Antonio Lobato claimed Alonso's podium deceived the team

Luis Raya

Tuesday 29 August 2023 18:27

Antonio Lobato has claimed that Fernando Alonso's podium in the Canadian Grand Prix created a false illusion that led Aston Martin to believe that their then-recently introduced upgrades were better than they turned out to be.

Double world champion Alonso was the surprise of the early season, securing six podiums during the first half of 2023 after joining Aston Martin, a team which struggled for points the previous season.

However, the team gradually lost its momentum, which was evident when Lance Stroll and Alonso could only manage sixth and seventh positions respectively at the Spanish Grand Prix.

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The Spaniard returned to the podium once again in the following race in Canada, achieving a remarkable second place. However, since then, the superior and timely upgrades made by other teams have caused Aston Martin's performance to decline, with no further podium finishes until a rain-impacted Dutch race last weekend.

Spanish commentator Antonio Lobato claimed that the podium led the team to believe that the aerodynamic package introduced for the Canadian round was better than it turned out to be.

"I have the feeling that what has happened to you, or what could have happened to you, is that the podium in Canada deceived you a bit," said Lobato to DAZN.

"You thought that the aerodynamic package that you had introduced worked well and I think that podium in Canada hurt you, in the sense that you did not quite understand the car very well."

Former F1 driver Pedro De la Rosa, who now works at Aston Martin, provided an explanation for what happened.

"First of all, podiums never hurt. They are always welcome. It just happens that there is a set of things," he said.

"First, you introduce many changes, you don't have the material time on the track to be able to assess all these changes, to see how they work, what differences there are exactly in cornering, not just in a straight line...It's very difficult today have the full picture."

Alonso secured six podiums in the first eight rounds of the season

Mike Krack promised upgrades after the summer break

Aston Martin's team principal, Mike Krack, stated that there would be upgrades heading into the second half of the season, starting with the Dutch Grand Prix.

The team arrived at Zandvoort with a new diffuser and numerous upgrades focused on the car's floor, hoping to make a qualitative leap and return to the performance they exhibited earlier in the season – and though the rain made it tricky to gauge true performance, Alonso's second place is encouraging.

Aston Martin appeared to be the only team capable of challenging Red Bull in the early races.

However in recent races, McLaren emerged as the big surprise, transforming from being one of the slower teams to arguably the best behind Red Bull, which further complicated Aston Martin's position. The race for improvements will be pivotal for the remainder of the season. READ MORE: F1 team principal issues Alonso BEHAVIOUR verdict amid 'selfish' accusations