Alonso laments Aston Martin's decline to 'ninth or tenth' F1 team

Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin has taken a step backward in Formula 1 this year, with the team now ninth or tenth in the standings.

Alonso joined Aston Martin this year after two seasons with Alpine, but the team has struggled for pace in 2023. The Spaniard has scored just 10 points in the first eight races, while teammate Lance Stroll has seven.

Speaking after the Canadian Grand Prix, Alonso said: "We are ninth or tenth in the championship, so we are not where we want to be. We need to improve, we need to bring more performance to the car. We need to work very hard to try to close the gap to the top teams."

Aston Martin's decline is a surprise, as the team finished seventh in the constructors' championship last year. However, the team has struggled to adapt to the new regulations, which have introduced a new set of aerodynamic rules.

Alonso is hoping that Aston Martin can make progress in the second half of the season. However, he admits that it will be a difficult task.

"We need to find a lot of performance," he said. "We need to work very hard, but I think it's possible. We have a good group of people, we have a good team. We just need to put it all together and start performing at a higher level."