By Graham Duxbury @TheRealDux

As Formula One heads into its traditional summer break, teams are taking stock of their performances over the first half of the season.

While McLaren continues to comfortably lead both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, and Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull fight to stay in touch, another intriguing story is emerging just behind them: the apparent resurgence of Aston Martin.

After a tough run of races earlier in the season, the Silverstone-based team delivered its best qualifying result in over two years at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with both cars making Q3 and Fernando Alonso starting from the third row of the grid.

Has this marked a notable upturn in form? Does it point to the team rediscovering the competitive spark it showed at the start of 2023.

Fernando Alonso noted that the team had hopefully made progress in understanding the car’s elusive "sweet spot" – the optimal range in which the car delivers peak performance.

Once a team finds this balance, everything becomes easier – tyre management, pace, even race strategy.

In this light, could Aston Martin be eyeing a strong second half of the season? If the Hungarian GP is any indicator of form, Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll could once again become regular contenders for top-ten – even top-six - finishes.