The former Haas boss highlights the Spaniard's one stop strategy in the Netherlands as key to scoring points. He warns that Monza, with its long straights, will be a much more severe test for the AMR26's limitations and its Honda engine.
The Dutch Grand Prix left an image that transcends mere results. Fernando Alonso achieved a ninth place that, for many, was much more than a handful of points, to such an extent that Günther Steiner, the former Haas team principal, has analyzed the Asturian's performance and was forceful: "That is saving them." The Italian American strategist was referring to the Aston Martin driver's ability to execute a one stop strategy, extending his soft tire stint beyond 30 laps.
Steiner, globally known for his unfiltered honesty, explained why he considers Alonso's performance was decisive: "It has been a typical Fernando feat, achieving it with a single stop and that has saved them, he was able to maintain a decent pace" he declared. The former Haas boss highlighted that the practically zero degradation of the AMR26 in Zandvoort, combined with the Spaniard's ability to manage his tires, allowed Aston Martin to score points on a weekend where the car was not the fastest.
However, Steiner was cautious when analyzing the overall context: "What helps them at the moment is that now there are really three teams back there, that are very far from the rest" he pointed out, suggesting that Aston Martin's position in the standings also responds to the weakness of its direct rivals. The former Haas boss's analysis puts into perspective the resurgence of the Silverstone team, which in Belgium was even behind Cadillac and in Hungary and Zandvoort has managed to get closer to the points zone.
Steiner himself admitted that his expectations were not so positive before the Dutch weekend. "In Saturday's qualifying for the race I thought: Wow, this is not going well, after what I saw on Friday and Saturday in sprint qualifying and in the sprint race I thought wow, I think we have reacted in a somewhat exaggerated way to their resurgence" he confessed, but Alonso's race performance changed his perception.
The AMR26's weak point remains evident, the Honda power unit. In Zandvoort, a circuit with medium speed corners and few straights, the top speed deficit was not so decisive, but Monza, the Temple of Speed, is a completely different scenario. Steiner is aware that the long Italian straights will expose the car's weaknesses: "With the long straights there and the top speed required to achieve competitive lap times, the AMR26 is going to suffer much more compared to what was experienced in the two previous Grands Prix" he warned.
Adrian Newey's presence at the Aston Martin factory has generated expectations and the aerodynamic upgrades introduced in recent races have paid off, but the engine problem remains a burden that the team cannot hide. Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull have more competitive power units and at Monza that difference will become more evident.
Steiner summarized the situation clearly: Alonso is the differentiating factor, his ability to manage tires, maintain pace and execute risky strategies is allowing Aston Martin to score points that with another driver perhaps would not have arrived, but the former Haas boss also made it clear that the team should not be overconfident, Monza will be the test that determines whether the chassis upgrades are enough to compensate for the engine's deficiencies or if Alonso's talent will continue to be the team's lifeline.
