Aston Martin F1 becomes McLaren's primary competitor at Zandvoort.

      "We're in a good position with them."

      Aston Martin surprised everyone at Zandvoort by emerging as the closest competitor to McLaren after the first practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso was the standout performer, with Red Bull's Helmut Marko acknowledging, "Something changed after Budapest that is truly effective." Carlos Sainz from Williams concurred, stating, "In Hungary, they were near pole position. I’m not sure if they match McLaren’s level, but they are competing with Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull in qualifying."

      While Alonso shone, his teammate Lance Stroll experienced another troubling moment, crashing heavily during practice. Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos remarked on Ziggo Sport, "I saw him in the paddock later on a scooter, and he looked bored again. It’s quite careless how he wrecked the whole car."

      The home fans also witnessed an unusual error from Max Verstappen, who got his Red Bull stuck in the gravel just 200 meters after a practice start. "Over-motivated," Marko remarked with a smirk.

      More concerning for Red Bull is the fact that the defending champions still seem significantly behind the McLarens, despite Marko asserting, "The issues in Hungary had a different cause. We've resolved that." However, Verstappen disagreed, stating, "We continue to have the same problems. We’ve tried numerous setups with the car, but that hasn’t changed the fundamental issues."

      Regarding Sunday’s race, Alonso is skeptical about his ability to challenge the dominant McLarens. "No chance! The reality is that McLaren is beyond our reach – for us and everyone else," the two-time champion acknowledged. The 44-year-old Spaniard pointed out that the positive aspect is that Aston has ceased to mishandle its upgrades. "We’ve secretly made it our goal to make Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull a little anxious," he smiled.

      "We're in a favorable position with them, and we aim to maintain it. What also encourages me is that we now have a good understanding of the car, and our tools are functioning well. This is all essential preparation for 2026, when we will be competing with the new cars." Alonso mentioned there is no excuse for the team's previous developmental issues.

      "You learn from mistakes and from things that didn't work," he explained. "However, I don’t believe it was wise to keep introducing updates that ultimately proved ineffective. Even though we learn from that experience, such occurrences shouldn't happen. This is Formula 1, not a testing academy. You must deliver."