They say seeing is believing. And seeing the leaderboard in qualifying last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, specifically the initial phase, really did take some believing.
For a team whose underlying goal was to be an F1 world championship contender in 2026, Aston Martin’s opening 10 races have been nothing short of a calamity. From “nerve damage” safety concerns at the season-opener in Australia to countless power unit failures, Aston’s new partnership with Honda has been woeful. What’s more, they previously used Mercedes engines, by far and away the most powerful on the grid in the sport’s new electrical energy-focused era.
And in Q1 at the last race in Belgium, Aston drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were both more than two seconds slower than the next-slowest car, new team Cadillac, and more than four seconds off the frontrunners. Their lap times were closer to the 107% time – i.e. the minimum time required to start the race – than pole position.
Alonso, now in his 23rd F1 season, has made no secret that he is still in the sport in the hope that Aston can provide him with a car capable of winning a third world championship, two decades after his successive titles with Renault. Yet, on the contrary, the 44-year-old has been languishing hopelessly at the back these past few months. It has been painful viewing.
But, admirably, the Spaniard still holds out hope that the great Adrian Newey can give him one last miracle. “They take time but I have no doubts Adrian will provide the best car on the grid sooner or later,” Alonso said on Thursday, ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the final round before the customary summer recess.
“I would like to see the first steps with this package.”
And while long overdue, this is one monumental package coming to the Hungaroring this weekend. Aston confirmed on Friday morning that their upgraded car contains sixteen – 16! – different parts, including front and rear wings, sidepods, the floor and the rear suspension.
It is essentially a brand new car. Mumblings in the paddock suggest it could add up to a second a lap of performance and, while Aston need considerably more than that to challenge at the top, it would represent one massive leap.
“Budapest is a friendly circuit for us,” Alonso stated yesterday. “Power is not the most important here, but we update the car and not the engine yet.
“I am more into the weekend, understanding the direction of the car, if we are in a good path and we can finally unlock the performance
“I am not thinking about numbers or positions.”
Friday’s two practice sessions will give us an initial reading before qualifying on Saturday. With Alonso already admitting that he will be thinking hard about his future over the August break – his contract expires at the end of the season – this weekend is pivotal for Aston’s chances of retaining their star driver.
In fact, it is a last-chance saloon.
“It became quite obvious very quickly that we were not going to be competitive in the early races,” Newey said at Silverstone, three weeks ago.
“We took the painful but I believe correct decision to not do any developments through the first half of the year, knowing that that would actually mean, as everybody else develops, of course, the gap to the front would actually get bigger.
“But, with a view to then really getting ourselves better organised, putting lots of different systems into place for the future, and then really doing our research properly, because the ’26-car was a very competitive timescale.
“So, it’s enabled us to step back a bit, take a bit of pressure off ourselves, because I think we actually put ourselves under too much pressure over the winter, and take a deep breath, and really understand our problems, what we need to achieve, (with) this upgrade package that we go to Hungary as the first stage, the second stage in Zandvoort (first race after summer break).”
Of course, Honda must get their act together with their power unit, too. Alonso insists he “has no doubts” that will happen, despite a previously bad experience driving a Honda car with McLaren a decade ago. Whether the Japanese company can really catch the other manufacturers – Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and Audi – remains to be seen.
But, despite the appetite for mockery, the sport will be better served if Aston can find some speed. The sport is a greater product when its truly top-tier drivers are fighting competitively at the front. We’ve seen that with Lewis Hamilton’s renaissance this season.
Alonso is undoubtedly one of those drivers. And, whether it be naivety or genuine hope, he still believes Newey can give him one final glorious swansong to send him off into the sunset with fulfilment. And, to his credit, Alonso has been pedalling this bike for quite some time now. As a reminder: he has not won a race in 13 years.
