Alonso optimistic after Aston Martin's major upgrade as Newey seeks "respectability"

Fernando Alonso expressed satisfaction with the latest evolution of his Aston Martin, describing the car’s behaviour as "much better" after the team introduced a comprehensive upgrade package during Friday's practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The British‑based outfit had entered the current regulatory era, which began at the start of the season, with the ambition of breaking the monopoly of the sport’s traditional "big four" and mounting a genuine title challenge. Instead, the campaign has been plagued by a severely under‑performing Honda power unit and a chassis that, despite being overseen by legendary designer Adrian Newey, has failed to deliver the expected performance levels.

While rival teams have rolled out a series of incremental upgrades throughout the year, Aston Martin opted to wait until the eleventh round in Budapest to unveil a single, extensive package comprising sixteen new components. The decision proved a mixed blessing on the day.

Lance Stroll suffered a left‑rear suspension failure during the opening practice session, which forced him out of the second session entirely. Alonso, however, managed to complete a relatively normal run and left the paddock sounding cautiously hopeful. "It was much better," Alonso said when asked about the new parts.

"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 substantial engine upgrade, scheduled for the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer hiatus.

Alonso highlighted the importance of improvements on both fronts: "We need to find more performance not only 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 right direction. 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’s lap time placed him 19th, sandwiched between the two 2026 newcomers from Cadillac. He lost a potentially faster lap due to a track‑limits infringement, and his rhythm was further disrupted by traffic and a red‑flag caused by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto crashing. Despite these setbacks, Alonso remained optimistic about extracting more speed on Saturday: "It was tricky with the red flag and some of the traffic to maximise the lap.

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 may 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 qualifying." Newey, who joined Aston Martin from Red Bull in March 2025 as the most decorated designer in Formula 1 history, outlined a modest short‑term objective for the team: achieving "respectability". Speaking between Friday’s two practice sessions, he admitted the opening races had been "a complete nightmare" and emphasized the need for incremental progress: "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 broke, causing him to spin and forcing the team to withdraw him from the second practice session because the car could not be repaired in time.

Newey explained that the failed component was not part of the new package; rather, it was an existing part that became problematic due to the surrounding fresh components. "The area involved was actually not changed," he clarified. "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." Both Newey and the engineering crew are now busy analysing the failure to determine exactly what went wrong.

As Newey put it, "Everyone is feverishly trying to understand exactly what happened as we speak. It’s only once we have an understanding that we can comment on what we do next." Looking ahead, the schedule for the weekend includes a full slate of support series – Formula 3, Formula 2, Porsche Supercup – culminating in the Hungarian Grand Prix itself.

All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW for viewers who prefer an online platform. In summary, while Aston Martin’s performance this season has fallen short of the lofty ambitions set at the start of the era, the extensive Budapest upgrade appears to have injected a measure of optimism. Alonso’s feedback suggests the car is finally beginning to feel the ground, and Newey’s realistic target of "respectability" may serve as a stepping stone toward the longer‑term goal of challenging the sport’s established powerhouses.

The upcoming Dutch Grand Prix will be the first real test of Honda’s new engine, and if the chassis and power unit start to click, the team could see a steady climb up the grid as the season progresses.