Fernando Alonso targets Ferrari and Red Bull after ‘optimistic’ Dutch GP FP2

Fernando Alonso has predicted Aston Martin will “be in the mix” with Ferrari and Red Bull after an improved showing on Friday in Zandvoort.

The first day of a race weekend has typically been Aston’s worst this year but aside from Lance Stroll’s crash, the Silverstone outfit have plenty of reason to be optimistic heading into the Dutch Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso ‘optimistic’ after finishing P2 in Zandvoort practice

Alonso finished P2, splitting the McLarens, in the second practice session of the day, giving him and the team optimism for the weekend going forward.

While the Spaniard still felt McLaren were out of reach, he did suggest that the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari could be within their grasp.

“I don’t think that is within our reach to fight with the McLarens,” he said. “But maybe some of the top teams. Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, they seem not too far away.

“We will try to be in that mix.

“More optimistic than some of the other Fridays we did. Hungary was strong for us and now we go into the following race in Zandvoort, and we’re still showing some good pace in free practice.

“We know it’s only free practice, but it’s good to see our times up there and let’s see what we can do.”

One of the most encouraging aspects for Aston is that data produced in the factory is correlating with what they are seeing out on track, not something they could always rely on in previous years.

Alonso said that was crucial to having a strong 2026 with the team targeting consistent positions high up the field.

More from the first day of the Dutch Grand Prix

Dutch GP: Norris sees off Alonso threat as Stroll crashes hard in FP2

F1 LIVE: All the action as it happened from FP2 at the Dutch Grand Prix

“Unfortunately, we are not fighting for big, big things so the main focus for the rest of the season is to make sure that we understand what we do in the factory and we translate those learnings into the track,” Alonso said.

“And it seems that in the last couple of months, everything that we brought to the track is working as expected. So this brings huge confidence into what we will do now in the next winter, knowing that our tools and what we do in the factory should translate hopefully into Barcelona test next year.”

As for Stroll, his FP2 came to an early end when he crashed into Turn 2. Initial replays showed he kept his hands on the wheel during the moment of impact, a decision that broke Daniel Ricciardo’s wrist at the same spot in 2023, but the Canadian said he was 100% and fit to continue the race weekend.

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