Fernando Alonso expressed clear satisfaction with the recent improvements to his Aston Martin, describing the car’s performance during the Hungarian Grand Prix practice sessions as "much better" than in previous outings. The team unveiled a comprehensive upgrade package on Friday, introducing sixteen new components in an effort to revitalize a season that has, up to this point, fallen short of expectations. Aston Martin entered the current Formula One era with high ambitions. The introduction of the latest set of technical regulations at the start of the season was seen as a chance for the British outfit to break into the sport’s traditional "big four" – Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren – and to mount a genuine title challenge.
Instead, the campaign has been marred by a severely under‑performing Honda power unit and a chassis that, despite being overseen by the legendary Adrian Newey, has struggled to deliver the pace and stability required at the front of the grid. While rival teams have rolled out multiple incremental upgrades throughout the year, Aston Martin waited until the eleventh round in Budapest to present a single, large‑scale package.
The timing was dramatic: during the first practice session, Lance Stroll’s car suffered a left‑rear suspension failure, forcing him out of the second session. Alonso, however, managed to complete a relatively smooth run and emerged from the day with a cautiously optimistic outlook. "It was much better," Alonso said after the session. "The car felt more glued to the ground and easier to drive, to an extent, when you are in control of the grip in the corners.
A more predictable and easier car, but still a long way to go for us. Obviously, this is only the first step." The chassis upgrade arrives just ahead of a major engine update that Honda is expected to deliver at the Dutch Grand Prix following the summer break. Alonso highlighted the dual nature of the challenge ahead: "We need to find more performance both on the chassis and on the engine. Zandvoort will be a good test for us with the new engine.
Step by step, but definitely in the direction. It looks better, for sure, and it's more or less what we expected.
This is the most encouraging thing, that what we thought the new package would do the car actually translated into reality on track. That kind of correlation is what we need also for next year's project, so I think there is a positive atmosphere in the team now." In the second practice session, Alonso’s lap time placed him 19th, sandwiched between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac.
The result was somewhat misleading, as he lost a potentially faster lap due to a track‑limits infringement. Additional factors – including traffic and a red‑flag interruption caused by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto crashing – meant Alonso could not fully exploit the upgraded car’s potential on Saturday.
"It was tricky with the red flag and some of the traffic to maximise the lap," he explained. "So, maybe there is a little bit more to come from our side, but maybe it's the same for everybody, so let's see tomorrow.
We concentrated on testing the new parts and trying to understand the setup direction, which maybe can be very different to what we've run at the last few events, so I think there is more potential to unlock hopefully tonight and into tomorrow's qualy." Newey, who joined Aston Martin from Red Bull in March 2025 as the most decorated designer in F1 history, was candid about the team’s short‑term objectives. In a press conference between the two practice sessions, he said the immediate goal was to achieve "respectability" and, if possible, to secure at least a point in the upcoming races. "The first races have been a complete nightmare.
Hopefully, we can get at least a point and respectability now. I think that is the immediate goal.
From there, we can try to keep moving forward," Newey stated. The day’s drama continued when Stroll’s left‑rear suspension failure forced him out of the second practice session.
Newey clarified that the broken component was not part of the new package; rather, it was an older part that became problematic because it was now surrounded by newly introduced elements. "The area involved was actually not changed," he noted. "We are short on spares because the cladding and so forth is different, so there are some minor changes in that area. In that sense, it's very unexpected." Both Newey and the engineering team are now focused on diagnosing the exact cause of the failure, understanding how the surrounding new parts may have contributed, and ensuring that similar issues do not recur as the season progresses.
Looking ahead, the Hungarian Grand Prix schedule is packed with support series and qualifying sessions. Saturday will feature Formula 3 and Formula 2 sprint races, followed by the main qualifying session for the Grand Prix.
Sunday will host the full race program, including the F3 feature race, Porsche Supercup, F2 feature race, and finally the Hungarian Grand Prix itself. All sessions are broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW for viewers without a traditional contract.
In summary, while Aston Martin’s performance to date has been disappointing, the introduction of a substantial upgrade package has injected a measure of optimism into the garage. Alonso’s comments suggest the car is finally beginning to behave in a more predictable manner, and Newey’s emphasis on achieving "respectability" underscores a realistic, step‑by‑step approach to rebuilding competitiveness. The upcoming engine upgrade from Honda and the next race in the Netherlands will provide further opportunities to gauge the effectiveness of the new components and to continue the incremental progress that the team so clearly needs.