Fernando Alonso has not had too many reasons to smile about his Aston Martin this season, but the Spaniard left Interlagos with an unusually spring in his step after discovering a rather more competitive side to his AMR26.
Despite finishing outside the points in 12th place at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Alonso delivered one of his most encouraging performances of the campaign, describing his car as “phenomenal” after a weekend in which Aston Martin finally showed some genuine pace.
The two-time world champion had already offered a glimpse of what was possible on Saturday, using all his experience in treacherous conditions to secure a place inside the top ten for the first time this season.
And Sunday's race provided further evidence that the Brazilian weekend was no flash in the pan. Alonso held his ground against considerably better-equipped opposition during the opening stint, even finding himself trading blows with Ferrari and Mercedes machinery.
At one stage, the Spaniard passed Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari on merit, a welcome reminder that there is still plenty of fight in the veteran when his machinery gives him something to work with.
Alonso discovers a different Aston Martin
Although his challenge gradually faded as the race progressed, Alonso was clearly impressed by the behaviour of his car, particularly through Interlagos' demanding corners.
“I think it was the best race for the car feeling today," he said. "The car was phenomenal in the corners and we were battling with the Ferraris at one point.
“Even the last five laps on the inters, we were in the mix with the two Mercedes, one lap down, but with the Mercedes. Taking into account how much we lose on the straights, that means probably today we could have been maybe one second faster than them per lap. As I said the car was phenomenal.”
©Aston Martin
The suggestion that Aston Martin might have been a second per lap quicker than Mercedes was clearly delivered with a healthy dose of irony, given the aerodynamic and straight-line deficiencies that have plagued the AMR26.
But beneath the humour was a genuine sense of satisfaction. For once, Alonso had a car that responded to his inputs and allowed him to attack rather than spend the afternoon defending against rivals.
His 12th-place finish also represented a welcome change of fortunes after Aston Martin's miserable Mexico City outing, where power unit problems forced both cars into early retirement.
In Brazil, Alonso finished ahead of both Alpine and Williams drivers, as well as the two Haas entries, demonstrating that the team's underlying pace may finally be moving in the right direction.
Krack welcomes Aston Martin's step forward
While Alonso brought his car home, Lance Stroll suffered yet another retirement, an ERS-related battery problem ending his afternoon and marking his eighth DNF in the last ten Grands Prix.
Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack nevertheless preferred to focus on the positives, particularly the team's competitiveness across the entire weekend.
“Mixed fortunes for us today," he explained. "A strong drive from Fernando to finish P12 and Lance unfortunately retiring with a battery issue.
"Overall we must be satisfied with the outcome of the weekend as we were ahead of competitors with faster cars in Qualifying and race.”
The Luxembourg engineer also highlighted the significance of delivering such a performance at one of Formula 1's most celebrated venues.
“We always look forward to racing here in Sao Paulo – an iconic track with a passionate crowd - so it was great to deliver a strong performance in front of the Brazilian fans.”
Read also: F1i Driver Ratings for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix
Aston Martin remain tenth in the Constructors' Championship, five points behind Williams, and Alonso's latest points finish remains a distant memory, having last scored in Malaysia.
Nevertheless, Interlagos offered something the team has been desperately searching for: evidence that the AMR26 can still deliver when everything comes together.
Reliability remains a glaring weakness, as Stroll's latest retirement painfully illustrated, but Alonso's unexpectedly enthusiastic verdict suggests that Aston Martin may finally have found a little performance to take into the closing rounds of the season.
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