Newey hoping upgraded Aston Martin will end 'nightmare' run, confident Alonso will stay

[p][b]"These first races have been a complete nightmare,"[/b] Newey told ‌reporters after first practice at the Hungaroring saw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-fernando/rVRhR90U/"]‌Alonso[/a] lap 13th fastest, an improvement on being near the back of the field.[/p][p][b]"Hopefully we can get at least to a point of respectability now ‌and then from there we can try ⁠to keep moving forward."[/b][/p][embed guid="8d267ac6-6b0d-4fd0-a3b2-34d2c2419a12" url="https://x.com/AstonMartinF1/status/2080642643827020134" social-type="twitter" /][p]Silverstone-based Aston ‌Martin have scored one point in 10 rounds and are last but ​one in the standings, with only newcomers Cadillac behind them.[/p][p]The one point also fell into their lap after ​Cadillac's Sergio Perez, who had finished 10th in Monaco, was penalised for positioning his car wrongly at a re-start.[/p][p]Newey was reluctant ⁠to set any performance ​targets for the weekend or the second half of the season.[/p][p]"I've never been a fan of setting goals," he said.[/p][p][b]"I'm much more of a fan of working logically through problems, getting everybody working ‌together, getting the culture together."[/b][/p][embed guid="0834ec6a-6cdd-424a-9f61-00c34b1e12ad" url="https://x.com/AstonMartinF1/status/2080624904626372617" social-type="twitter" /][p]Newey said Alonso was an amazing driver who brought a huge amount to the team in feedback and ability.[/p][p][b]"So for us of course it's important," he said when asked how much of a priority it was for Alonso to stay.[/b][/p][p][b]"I'm pretty confident that Fernando is enjoying his time with us and that we will continue our relationship."[/b][/p][p]Newey said the relationship with Honda, whose engine has been the least competitive of ‌those on the grid in the first year of the ​partnership, was improving all the time.[/p][p][b]"Out of what can only ‌be called a disastrous start, the positive of that... is it's brought Honda and ourselves into a very close working relationship,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"And we continue to develop that in all areas. So I think I'm very happy with the ⁠progress we're making from a ⁠relationship point of view, ‌And normally relationships improve and performance also improves."[/b][/p]