Fernando Alonso praised the latest development package for his Aston Martin, describing the car’s behaviour as "much better" after the team unveiled a substantial upgrade during Friday's practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The British‑based outfit had entered the 2024 season hopeful that the new regulatory framework, introduced at the start of the year, would provide a pathway to join Formula 1's traditional "big four" and contend for championships. Instead, the campaign has been hampered by a severely under‑performing Honda power unit and a chassis that, despite being overseen by legendary designer Adrian Newey, has struggled to meet the performance benchmarks the team set for itself.
While rival teams have rolled out multiple aerodynamic and mechanical upgrades throughout the year, Aston Martin waited until the eleventh round in Budapest to introduce a comprehensive package comprising sixteen new components. The timing made the day a mixture of optimism and frustration.
Lance Stroll suffered a left‑rear suspension failure during the opening practice, which forced him out of the second session. Alonso, however, managed to complete a relatively uneventful run and emerged from the day with a cautiously positive outlook.
"It was much better," Alonso told reporters. "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 Honda's anticipated major power‑unit update, scheduled for the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer hiatus.
Alonso highlighted the importance of gaining performance from both the chassis and the engine, noting that the upcoming race at Zandvoort will serve as a crucial test of the new power unit. "Step by step, but definitely in the right direction," he said. "It looks better, for sure, and it's more or less what we expected.
This is the most encouraging thing – what we thought the new package would do actually translated into reality on track. That kind of correlation is what we need for next year's project, so I think there is a positive atmosphere in the team now." In the second practice session Alonso qualified 19th, a result that on the surface seemed modest, especially as he was sandwiched between the 2026 newcomers from Cadillac. However, he lost a potentially faster lap due to a track‑limits infringement, and his lap time was further compromised by traffic and a red‑flag interruption caused by Alpine's Franco Colapinto crashing. Alonso remained hopeful that the car could still produce more pace on Saturday.
"It was tricky with the red flag and some of the traffic to maximise the lap," he explained. "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 may be very different from what we've run at the last few events, so I think there is more potential to unlock hopefully tonight and into tomorrow's qualifying." Newey, who joined Aston Martin from Red Bull in March 2025 as the most decorated designer in the sport's history, admitted that the team's short‑term aim is simply to achieve "respectability". 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." Newey's comments came before Stroll was ruled out of the second practice due to the team's inability to repair his car in time.
The left‑rear suspension failure that caused Stroll to spin in the latter stages of the opening session was initially a mystery. Newey later clarified that the broken component was not part of the new package; rather, it was an existing part that became problematic because it was surrounded by newly introduced elements. "The area involved was actually not changed," he said. "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 weekend schedule includes a full slate of support races and the main Grand Prix events. On Saturday, the F3 Sprint will kick off at 9 am, followed by the third practice session for the Hungarian GP at 11:15 am, an F2 Sprint, and the qualifying session later in the afternoon. Sunday’s programme features the F3 Feature Race, the Porsche Supercup, the F2 Feature Race, and finally the Hungarian Grand Prix itself, with post‑race analysis and commentary scheduled throughout the day.
Overall, the upgrade package has injected a dose of optimism into an otherwise challenging season for Aston Martin. While the team still faces a long road to catch up with the front‑running outfits, Alonso’s feedback suggests that the car is finally beginning to respond to the engineering work being done. With a new Honda engine on the horizon and further development work planned for the next season, the ambition is to turn this modest improvement into a foundation for genuine competitiveness in the years to come.