In Fernando Alonso’s first Formula 1 season with Aston Martin in 2023, he achieved six podium finishes in the first eight races, positioning himself third in the championship. However, his performance has waned since then, with his first points of the 2025 season coming in the Spanish Grand Prix. Prior to Alonso’s breakthrough, Lance Stroll had been the sole scorer of Aston Martin’s points, 14 in total from the initial two rounds.
Aston’s technical department saw changes last season and the AMR25 car has faced challenges out of the gate, showing issues with race pace. Stroll’s qualifying struggles have somewhat concealed the car’s Sunday performance drop-off, with his best finish this season coming after a Q3 appearance. Alonso, on the other hand, has shown overtaking prowess at unconventional spots on the track, emphasizing the need to improve straight-line speed and tire wear degradation.
Alonso’s inclination to highlight his efforts parallels trackside officer Mike Krack’s observations about the car’s understeer imbalance. The team faced setbacks last year due to underwhelming performance gains from upgrades, but the recent developments in car design at Imola offer a glimpse into potential improvements. Despite challenges, the focus remains on optimizing the car’s balance for improved Sunday performance.
