Alonso’s vision for 2025 aims to restore Aston Martin F1’s confidence, beginning preparations in this summer’s heat.
Hungary could be a crucial Grand Prix for Aston Martin F1 and Fernando Alonso.
Indeed, this weekend the team receives significant upgrades—to get the AMR24 back on track.
Fernando Alonso perhaps approaches this weekend at the Hungaroring with trepidation…
“I think it depends a bit on the track… it’s very tight in the middle of the pack. I would really like to finish the next two races in the points.”
“It would be a good sign—showing that the new package meets our expectations. I think the top four teams are a bit too far ahead of us at the moment. So yes, I think we need to take small steps at a time and being in the points in both races will probably be the goal.”
“Being in the points is a good target.”
“It has been difficult recently. We’ve had ups and downs, like everyone. We started very strong in the first five races, where we were very competitive in qualifying, we were close to Mercedes and even McLaren, then in the race, we fell back.”
“The last four races have been more challenging. We need to improve our performance, raise our level, and return to a more comfortable position.”
However, the track conditions and characteristics of the Hungaroring might not quite suit the Aston Martin F1, continues Fernando Alonso.
“It’s a track where it will be very hot and it’s a bit like Barcelona in terms of speed, so maybe it will be hard for us to score points in the two races before the break.”
“It’s a bit difficult to find the right window for the car, we struggle to extract the maximum potential from our F1. In Barcelona, we started on the wrong foot and we couldn’t turn it around. In Austria, we only had one hour of free practice (because of the sprint) and we didn’t manage to optimize the package. At Silverstone, we had a normal weekend and it was cooler, which favors our performance.”
Moreover, Fernando Alonso is not a big fan of the Hungaroring… or not an absolute fan!
“It has never been my favorite circuit, although it is in the top 5 of my favorite circuits. It’s an incredible circuit, but I prefer Suzuka or Silverstone, which are more fun for modern F1 cars.”
Already focusing on 2025?
But in reality, Fernando Alonso is already thinking about 2025. For him, this summer is already about preparing for next winter!
“My goal and desire are to find the right direction and development path. I want us to have more confidence in what we are doing for next winter… to have a more normal campaign in 2025.”
“In 2024, the top four teams are out of our reach, so we must focus on ourselves.”
But where does the AMR24 really stand in terms of weaknesses today, according to the Spaniard?
“It’s not in any one area in particular. The car is not easy to drive, it’s unpredictable, and that undermines the driver’s confidence. You cannot push and trust the car to do the same thing every lap. The consistency is not very good when you’re behind the wheel, and I’ve had more issues this season than others.”
“When the margins are so small and tight and you’re fighting for one or two points, you make riskier decisions and perhaps take more risks than you should. In the choice of settings, instead of making a small adjustment before qualifying, for example, we change everything because we know that with the car we had in FP3, we would not score more than one point. Sometimes you risk everything to get into the top 5.”
In truth, according to Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 still suffers from its status as a customer team.
This will no longer be the case in 2026, when Aston teams up with Honda…
“With capped budgets, manufacturers do not have unlimited budgets or unlimited testing programs, everything is more regulated. But there are many downsides to not being an engine manufacturer, you can see it both ways.”
At least, Fernando Alonso arrived in Hungary with a smile… thanks to the Spanish triumphs of Alcaraz at Wimbledon and the national football team at the Euro!
“The whole country has taken so much pleasure. In tennis, we have experienced an incredible two decades with Rafa Nadal and now we have Carlos. We are in good hands, he is very young and very talented. And in football, it was a great match.”
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Alonso’s 2025 Vision: Boost Aston Martin F1 Alonso’s 2025 Vision: Boost Aston Martin F1
