Ambitious goal or unrealistic dream? Honda wants a third title for Alonso

Every Formula 1 World Championship contender is convinced that they have what it takes to become world champion. And some of the leading figures in the premier class of motor racing have already proven their title-winning credentials. Among them is Fernando Alonso, who prevailed over superstar Michael Schumacher in 2005 and 2006 to be crowned champion twice in a row.

However, all that was a long time ago; almost 20 years have passed since the 32-time Grand Prix winner celebrated his successful title defence in Brazil. Since then, he has been doing everything in his power to celebrate that great triumph once again. Recently, however, his success has been limited; his last Grand Prix victory came in 2013 at his home race in Spain. Since then, he has had to make do with the occasional podium finish.

This year, successes have been particularly scarce. In the first five rounds of the World Championship, Alonso failed to score any points in his underperforming Aston Martin; it was only in Monte Carlo that he managed to finish tenth and break into the top 10, earning him and his team their only World Championship point so far this year.

Following the Budapest upgrade: Honda steps it up at Zandvoort

Hope was recently provided by Aston Martin’s major upgrade, which gave Alonso and his team-mate Lance Stroll the opportunity to battle in the midfield during the latest race in Budapest. However, the pair finished in 13th and 14th places, once again coming away empty-handed.

At least the trend is heading in the right direction. And after the summer break, Honda intends to build on this and bring an update for the power unit to the track, which is set to propel the Silverstone-based team even further up the order.

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The Japanese team also listened carefully to Alonso’s input during the development process, as Shintaro Orihara emphasised. “He has 20 years’ experience. So when Alonso says how the energy delivery should be in a corner, we should respect his opinion,” explained Honda’s chief engineer.

How much time does Honda have left?

And the Japanese engineer made no secret of the goal they are pursuing: Honda wants to enable Alonso to win his third world championship title. He made it clear that this is not a target set solely for PR purposes: “That is definitely our goal. We’re working closely together and know that he’s a brilliant driver. He’s deeply passionate about the sport and he trusts Honda. We therefore want to fulfil his wish; that is our clear objective.”

It is unclear how much time Orihara and his engineers have left, as Alonso has not yet made a decision about his future in the World Championship. One thing is certain: this year, the proud Asturian will have to set his sights a little lower. The World Championship title remains out of reach. He trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 218 points. And although there are still plenty of championship points up for grabs in the second half of the season, it is clear to everyone involved that this deficit cannot be made up.