{"id":868946,"date":"2026-08-26T10:48:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/868946\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T10:48:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:48:12","slug":"fernando-alonso-dutch-gp-strategy-shows-im-a-very-good-driver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/868946\/","title":{"rendered":"Fernando Alonso: Dutch GP strategy shows “I’m a very good driver”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fernando Alonso<\/a> was full of self-praise at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, claiming that being \u201ca very good driver\u201d allowed him to convert a one-stop strategy into a shock points finish for Aston martin<\/p>\n

The Spanish racer finished ninth at\u00a0Zandvoort on Sunday from 18th on the grid, claiming his second points results of the 2026 campaign after 10th at Monaco in June.<\/p>\n

The way impressive\u00a0Alonso took ninth was very impressive too, as he got as far as the 34th lap on a pair of soft tyres before switching to hard rubber for the remainder of the 72-lap contest.<\/p>\n

That was amid other drivers utilising at least a two-stop strategy, so the double world champion would wait patiently behind those set to pit and then make the most of the overcut in clean air.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m a very good driver,\u201d said Alonso, when asked how he made it work. \u201cThat was not the plan. I think the plan was two stops and to go more conventional.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we need to sometimes deviate a little bit from what is normal. When we are in traffic, we cannot use our potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are faster in the corners and the people in front of us, we are slower on the straights, and we’re stuck behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, as soon as we have free track in front of us, we try to use it, even if it’s not the optimal performance and the optimal strategy and it’s what we did today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fernando <\/p>\n

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Alexander Albon, Williams<\/p>\n

Photo by: Simon Galloway \/ LAT Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Alonso\u2019s result came after Aston Martin brought a radically different chassis to Budapest at the prior round, before bringing an upgraded Honda engine to the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

The updates have so far worked well as the British marque is no longer F1\u2019s slowest team – a tag that now belongs to newcomer Cadillac – but its Zandvoort weekend didn\u2019t start positively.<\/p>\n

Alonso qualified last for the sprint race – team-mate Lance Stroll<\/a> was in 19th – as he encountered driveability problems due to his straightline mode not working, causing him to lock up at Turn 1.<\/p>\n

Stroll and the Spaniard eventually finished the sprint in 17th and 18th before a more respectable qualifying session for Sunday\u2019s race, taking 18th and 19th ahead of Haas and Cadillac.<\/p>\n

Alonso reckons Aston Martin will not be \u201ccompetitive\u201d at the low-downforce Monza up next, but Zandvoort still represented \u201canother step forward\u201d for the Silverstone-based outfit.<\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially on the chassis side,\u201d he added. \u201cWe brought four or five components here.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, the Budapest package was understood in the break and with all the data available after the race, we fine-tuned a little bit the set-up around that new spec, plus the new parts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, now, we are optimising the chassis side and we are able to extract the maximum.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the engine, it’s more difficult. I don’t think we can be black and white on if we have more power or not.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the driver’s side of things, you change circuit one month after the other race, so the drivability has been a difficult weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re struggling with the downshift again and we’re struggling with the engine braking corner to corner. So, it was a challenging weekend in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n

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