Fernando Alonso reveals why he will 'REMEMBER' torrid Italian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso on the podium in Zandvoort — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Superstars

Alonso reveals why he will 'REMEMBER' torrid Italian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso was not a fan of Aston Martin's Monza performance

Jay Winter

Monday 4 September 2023 14:27 Updated: 14:33

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso has described the Italian Grand Prix as 'one of the most difficult races' for him this season, highlighting the intense mental and physical demands he faced at the 'Temple of Speed' in Monza.

The Spaniard collected two world championship points for himself and the team after making up one place on his grid slot to finish ninth.

Speaking to the media after the race, the 42-year-old, reflected on the 'demanding' Grand Prix.

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"It was a very demanding race; mentally and physically to drive the car with very low grip which made it very tricky to drive," he said. "So for me, it was one of the most difficult races of the year and it's the worst result.

"It's going to be an anonymous race, nobody will remember this but I will do in my head because it has been a tough one."

Alonso struggled with a lack of grip at the Italian Grand Prix

Lots to learn

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is renowned for its unique challenges, with its high-speed straights and low downforce setup pushing both drivers and cars to the limit.

For the man who claimed his seventh podium of the season in Zandvoort last week, the ninth place finish isn't good enough.

"[There are] many lessons we need to take from this race," he said. "We were not competitive, so the main focus for us is to try to understand at this type of circuit what we need to do differently into the future and next year when we come here.

"We were slow from the beginning to the end. We want to fight for better than ninth, so we take these points but hopefully many lessons."

Despite Aston Martin's astonishing start to the season, Lawrence Stroll's team have been leapfrogged by Ferrari after their impressive third and fourth place finishes at their home race.