Fernando Alonso praised the noticeable improvement of his Aston Martin after the team unveiled a comprehensive upgrade package during Friday's practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The British driver described the car as feeling "much better," noting that it seemed more securely planted on the tarmac and offered a more predictable handling experience, especially when navigating corners.
While he welcomed the progress, Alonso cautioned that the work is only the first step on a longer journey toward competitiveness. Aston Martin entered the 2024 season with high expectations, viewing the new generation of technical regulations as a chance to break the long‑standing dominance of the sport's traditional "big four" – Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.
The team hoped that a fresh partnership with Honda and the design expertise of Adrian Newey, who arrived from Red Bull in March 2025, would translate into a championship‑challenging package. Instead, the season has been plagued by a severely under‑performing Honda power unit and a chassis that has failed to meet the lofty standards set by its creators.
Throughout the year, rival teams have introduced multiple incremental upgrades, but Aston Martin delayed its major overhaul until the eleventh round in Budapest, presenting a "mega‑package" comprising sixteen new components. The timing of the update meant that the team faced a mixed day on the circuit. Lance Stroll’s car suffered a left‑rear suspension failure during the opening practice session, forcing him to miss the second session entirely.
Alonso, however, managed to complete a relatively normal run and emerged from the day feeling cautiously optimistic. "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 before Honda is scheduled to deliver a significant power‑unit upgrade at the Dutch Grand Prix, following the summer break. Alonso emphasized the need for gains on both fronts: "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 second practice, Alonso qualified 19th, sandwiched between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac. His lap time was compromised by a breach of track limits, and the session was further disrupted by a red‑flag caused by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto crashing.
Despite the setbacks, Alonso remained hopeful that the upgrades would yield additional pace on Saturday. "I think 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, the most decorated designer in Formula 1 history, admitted that the team's short‑term aim is simply to achieve "respectability" after a nightmare start to the season.
Speaking at a press conference between the two practice sessions, he said: "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." The day’s drama continued when Stroll’s left‑rear suspension failed again during the latter part of the first practice session, causing him to spin and ultimately miss the second session.
The failure was traced to a component that, contrary to initial assumptions, was not part of the new package but was surrounded by newly introduced parts, complicating the diagnosis. Newey explained: "The area involved was actually not changed. 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 weekend schedule includes a full slate of support series, with F3 and F2 sprint races on Saturday, followed by qualifying for the main event.
Sunday will feature the F3 feature race, Porsche Supercup, the F2 feature race, and finally the Grand Prix itself. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and viewers can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract. In summary, while Aston Martin’s performance in Hungary remains far from the front‑row contenders, the introduction of a substantial aerodynamic and mechanical upgrade has injected a dose of optimism into the garage. Alonso’s feedback suggests that the car is finally beginning to translate theoretical gains into tangible on‑track results.
Newey’s realistic target of achieving "respectability" reflects a pragmatic approach to rebuilding confidence after a challenging start to the campaign. With a Honda engine upgrade looming and further development work already underway, the team hopes to continue extracting performance improvements, aiming to climb out of the back‑markers and compete more consistently in the remaining races of the season.