Fernando Alonso praised the latest evolution of his Aston Martin, describing the car’s behaviour on the Hungarian Grand Prix practice circuit as "much better" after the team unveiled a comprehensive upgrade package on Friday. The British‑based outfit, which entered the 2024 season hoping to leverage the new technical regulations to break into Formula One’s traditional "big four" and fight for championships, has instead endured a disappointing start. A severely under‑performing Honda power unit combined with a chassis that has not lived up to the lofty expectations set by chief technical director Adrian Newey has left the team lagging behind its rivals.
While most competitors have introduced a series of incremental upgrades throughout the year, Aston Martin chose to hold back until the eleventh round in Budapest, presenting a single, massive bundle of sixteen new components. The timing proved a double‑edged sword. During the first practice session, Lance Stroll’s left‑rear suspension failed, forcing him out of the second session and highlighting lingering reliability concerns. Alonso, however, emerged from the day with a cautiously optimistic outlook, noting that the car felt more planted and easier to manage, especially when he could control the grip through the corners.
"It was much better," Alonso explained. "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 delivery of a significant power‑unit update, slated for the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer hiatus.
Alonso underscored the need for improvements on both fronts: "We need to find more performance both on the chassis but also 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’s 19th‑place lap time seemed modest, especially as he was sandwiched between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac. However, a faster lap was nullified due to a breach of track limits, and the session was further disrupted by a red‑flag caused by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto crashing. These setbacks gave Alonso reason to believe there is still untapped pace waiting to be uncovered on Saturday’s qualifying run. "I think 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 sport’s most decorated designer, admitted that the immediate objective is simply to achieve "respectability" on the track. 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 also saw Stroll’s car suffer a sudden left‑rear failure that forced him to spin and ultimately miss 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 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 weekend schedule is packed with support series and the main Grand Prix events, all broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Saturday will feature the final practice session, followed by qualifying, while Sunday will host the race itself along with F3, F2, and Porsche Supercup support races.
Fans can stream the action via NOW without a long‑term contract. Overall, the upgrade package appears to have injected a much‑needed dose of optimism into an otherwise challenging season for Aston Martin. Alonso’s comments suggest the car is finally beginning to respond to the engineering inputs, offering a more stable platform on which to build.
The forthcoming Honda engine update and further refinements to the chassis could see the team climb out of the early‑year doldrums and start delivering points more consistently. For now, the focus remains on extracting every ounce of performance from the new parts, learning from the data, and translating that knowledge into tangible results on the track, with the ultimate aim of restoring the respectability that Newey and the team aspire to achieve.