Key takeaways
- Masterclass in strategy: Fernando Alonso scored two hard-fought points at the Dutch Grand Prix, fighting back from 18th on the grid to finish 9th after Aston Martin executed flawless tire and strategic decisions.
- Overcoming initial struggles: The two-time World Champion bounced back from a dismal start to the Zandvoort weekend, where a straight-line deployment issue in Sprint Qualifying relegated him to the back of the grid.
- Encouraging chassis progress: Alonso noted that recent chassis upgrades improved car drivability and tire preservation, providing optimism ahead of the upcoming European rounds.
Fernando Alonso celebrated a remarkable recovery drive to 9th place at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, praising the Aston Martin pit wall for making flawless strategic calls throughout a chaotic 72-lap race at Circuit Zandvoort.
The Spaniard’s weekend started under difficult circumstances. Straight-line energy deployment issues during Sprint Qualifying left him starting from the final row, leading to an 18th-place finish in Saturday’s Sprint. A tough main qualifying session left him lining up 18th once again for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
However, precise strategy and clever tire choices allowed Alonso to steer clear of early incidents—including Max Verstappen’s lap-1 crash and Gabriel Bortoleto’s spin—to climb steadily into the top 10.
Fernando Alonso scored two valuable points for Aston Martin at Zandvoort (Photo: Aston Martin)
“I’m very happy for the team; they hit the nail on the head with every single decision,” Alonso stated following the race. “The strategy, the starting tire choices, and also the decision during the Virtual Safety Car to stay out—every call was correct. The car performed well, we had low tire degradation, and I hope we can keep this momentum going.”
Alonso also highlighted the technical gains made on the AMR26 chassis, pointing toward improved tire life over long race stints.
“We had an improvement with the chassis. The car is easier to drive and manages the tires much better, which is a big step forward,” Alonso concluded.
Formula 1 action resumes from September 4–6 for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. GRANDE PRÊMIO covers all paddock news live from Zandvoort with reporter Leonid Kliuev. Follow all updates on our news page.
