Fernando Alonso praised the recent improvements to his Aston Martin, describing the car’s behaviour as "much better" after the team unveiled a comprehensive upgrade package during the Friday practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The British driver noted that the car now feels more planted to the tarmac and easier to handle, especially when managing grip through the corners, signalling a positive shift after a challenging start to the season.
Aston Martin entered the current Formula One campaign with high hopes, viewing the new set of technical regulations that took effect at the beginning of the year as a chance to close the gap with the sport’s traditional powerhouses – Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren. The team’s ambition was to leverage the rule changes to become a genuine title contender.
However, the reality proved far harsher. The partnership with Honda has been plagued by a severely under‑performing power unit, while the chassis, overseen by the legendary designer Adrian Newey, has failed to deliver the expected performance levels.
As a result, the team has endured a disappointing season, struggling to keep pace with rivals. While most competitors have introduced multiple incremental upgrades throughout the year, Aston Martin held back until the eleventh round in Budapest to roll out a single, massive package consisting of sixteen new components. The timing was a gamble, but the team hoped that a wholesale overhaul would finally unlock the car’s latent speed. The day of testing was mixed.
Lance Stroll suffered a left‑rear suspension failure during the first practice session, which forced him to miss the second session entirely. Alonso, on the other hand, completed a relatively uneventful run and emerged from the garage sounding 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 expected to deliver a major engine update at the Dutch Grand Prix following the summer break. Alonso highlighted the need for gains on both fronts, stating that the upcoming race at Zandvoort will be a crucial test of the new power unit. "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 on‑track results matched the team’s expectations for the new package, a correlation that bodes well for the development of next year’s car. "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 qualifying position in the second practice session – 19th on the timesheet – seemed modest, especially as he was sandwiched between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac.
However, he lost a potentially faster lap due to a breach of track limits, and his rhythm was further disrupted by traffic and a red‑flag caused by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto crashing. These setbacks left Alonso hopeful that a cleaner run on Saturday could reveal additional pace. "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 most decorated designer in Formula One history, reiterated that the immediate goal is to achieve "respectability" for the team. In a press conference between Friday’s practice sessions he admitted that the opening races had been "a complete nightmare" but expressed optimism that a point finish was within reach. "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 explained. Stroll’s suspension failure added another layer of complexity. The left‑rear component that broke was not part of the new package, yet it was surrounded by freshly introduced parts, making diagnosis more difficult.
Newey clarified that the area itself had not been altered, but the surrounding cladding and ancillary pieces were different, leading to an unexpected failure. "As you can imagine, everybody is feverishly trying to understand exactly what went wrong and what happened as we speak. It's only once we have an understanding that we can comment on what we do next," he said.
Looking ahead, the weekend schedule includes a third practice session on Friday, followed by qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday, with additional support series such as F2, F3 and the Porsche Supercup providing extra on‑track action. Sky Sports will broadcast all sessions live, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract.
In summary, the Aston Martin team appears to be turning a corner after a season of disappointment. The substantial chassis upgrade has delivered a more stable and predictable car, while an upcoming engine update promises further performance gains.
Alonso’s comments suggest that the package is beginning to translate into real‑world speed, and Newey’s focus on achieving basic respectability could lay the foundation for a more competitive future. If the team can continue to refine the setup, resolve the lingering reliability issues, and extract the full potential of the new Honda power unit, they may yet surprise the established front‑runners as the season progresses.