Fernando Alonso praised the noticeable improvement in his Aston Martin after the team introduced a substantial upgrade package during Friday's practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The British‑Spanish driver described the car as feeling "much better," noting that it seemed more planted to the tarmac and easier to manage, especially when negotiating corners.
While he welcomed the progress, Alonso cautioned that the work was only the first step on a longer journey toward competitiveness. Aston Martin entered the current season with high hopes, viewing the new set of technical regulations that took effect at the start of the year as a chance to break into the sport's traditional "big four" and fight for championships. Instead, the team has endured a disappointing campaign, hampered by an under‑powered Honda power unit and a chassis that has not lived up to the expectations set by its chief designer, Adrian Newey.
Throughout the year, rival teams have rolled out multiple upgrade packages, but Aston Martin waited until the eleventh round in Budapest to unveil a single, comprehensive package consisting of sixteen new components. The day was mixed for the outfit. Lance Stroll suffered a failure of the left‑rear suspension on his car during the first practice session, which forced him to miss the second session entirely.
Alonso, however, managed a relatively smooth run and emerged from the day feeling cautiously optimistic. "It was much better," he said. "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 before Honda is expected to deliver a significant power‑unit update at the Dutch Grand Prix following the summer break.
Alonso stressed that improvements are needed on both the chassis and the engine. "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," he explained.
He added that the package performed as the team had hoped, turning theoretical gains into tangible on‑track results. "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." Alonso's 19th‑place time in the second practice session may have seemed modest, especially as he finished between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac. However, his lap was compromised by a breach of track limits, and the session was further disrupted by a red‑flag caused by Alpine driver Franco Colapinto crashing. Alonso remained hopeful that the team could extract additional pace on Saturday.
"It was tricky with the red flag and some of the traffic to maximise the lap," he said. "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 Formula 1 history, outlined his short‑term objective for the team: achieving "respectability" on the grid. Speaking at a press conference between the two practice sessions, he admitted the opening races had been "a complete nightmare" but expressed optimism that the team could at least secure a point and start to rebuild its reputation.
"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 said.
The suspension failure that sidelined Stroll was later clarified by Newey. The broken component was not part of the new package; rather, it was an older part that became problematic because it was surrounded by newly introduced elements. "The area involved was actually not changed," Newey explained. "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." Looking ahead, the Hungarian Grand Prix schedule includes practice, sprint, and qualifying sessions across the weekend, with live coverage on Sky Sports F1 and streaming options via NOW. The team hopes that the upgraded chassis, combined with the forthcoming Honda engine enhancement, will allow them to climb out of the back‑marker category and begin to challenge the midfield. While the path remains steep, Alonso's comments and Newey's realistic targets suggest a renewed sense of purpose within Aston Martin as they strive to turn the season around.