Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Fernando Alonso said his Aston Martin’s performance was “very good” as the team debuted a massive upgrade package during practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday.
Aston Martin approached F1’s latest generation of rules, which debuted earlier this season, as a major opportunity to break into the sport’s established ‘big four’ teams and challenge for the title.
Instead, they endured a disappointing campaign, with a vastly underpowered Honda engine and a chassis, whose design was led by team boss Adrian Newey, failing to live up to expectations.
While other teams have brought several upgrade packages throughout the year, Aston Martin waited until the 11th round in Budapest to bring a mega-package of 16 new parts.
It was a mixed day for the team as the left-rear suspension on Lance Stroll’s car failed during the first practice session and ruled him out of the second session, but Alonso was reasonably satisfied after managing a relatively normal day’s racing.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin’s new upgrades have delivered the improvements they expected, making the car easier to drive, but admits there is still more potential to unlock.
“It was great,” Alonso said. “The car feels more glued to the ground and easier to drive, when you’re in control of the grip in the corners.
“A more predictable and simple car, but we still have a long way to go. Obviously, this is only the first step.”
The chassis upgrade comes one round ahead of Honda’s expected delivery of a major engine upgrade at the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break.
Alonso continued: “We have to find more performance not only in the chassis, but also in the engine. Zandvoort will be a good test for us with the new engine. Step by step, but definitely in the direction.
“It looks better, for sure, and it’s more or less what we expected. That’s the most encouraging thing, that we thought the new package would transform the car into reality on the track.
“We need that kind of reciprocity for next year’s project as well, so I think there’s a positive atmosphere in the team now.”
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll avoids barriers after failure keeps him on track, triggering red flag in P1 at Hungarian Grand Prix
Alonso, 19th on the timesheets in second practice, lost a significantly faster lap due to a track violation when he finished between two cars in the 2026 newcomer Cadillac.
Traffic and an unhelpful red-flag barrier as Alpine’s Franco Colapinto crashed out of the session gave Alonso hope he could find more pace on Saturday.
“I think it was difficult to maximize the lap with the red flag and some traffic,” Alonso said.
“So, maybe a little bit more to come from our side, but maybe it’s the same for everybody, so let’s see tomorrow.
“(We’re) focused on testing the new parts and trying to understand the setup aspect, which can be very different from what we’ve run in the last few events, so I think there’s more potential to unlock tonight and tomorrow at Qualifiers.”
Newey: The immediate goal is respect
Newey, who joined Aston Martin from Red Bull in March 2025 as the most decorated designer in the sport’s history, admitted that his short-term goal is for the team to achieve “respect”.
Speaking at a press conference between the two sessions on Friday, Newey said: “The first races were an absolute nightmare.
“Hopefully, we can get at least one point and respect now. I think that’s the immediate goal. From there, we can try to move forward.”
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey is hopeful that their latest upgrades will boost the car’s performance
Newey was speaking before Stroll was ruled out of the second practice session after the Canadian was unable to repair the car in time for the team session.
He did well to avoid the obstacles when the left-rear of his car suddenly broke and sent him spinning in the closing stages of the opening session.
Newey admits the team was initially unsure what caused the problem.
He said at the time: “As you can imagine, as we speak everyone is trying to figure out exactly what went wrong and what happened.
“It’s only once we understand that we can comment on what to do.”
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of Friday’s practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix
Newey revealed that the part that broke on Stroll’s car was not actually new, but the problem was complicated by the fact that it was surrounded by new parts.
“The area involved was not actually changed,” Newey added.
“We lack extras because the cladding and other things are different, so there are some minor changes in that area. In that sense, it’s very unexpected.”
Sky Sports F1’s Hungarian GP schedule
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Several drivers crashed into each other on the first lap of the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix
Saturday 25 July
9am: F3 sprint
11.15am: Hungarian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint*
2.15pm: Hungarian GP Qualifying Build-up*
3pm: Hungarian GP Qualifying*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifications Notebook*
Sunday 26th July
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: Porsche Supercup
10.20am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Hungarian GP Build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
2pm: Hungarian Grand Prix*
4pm: Hungarian GP Reaction: Checkered Flag*
5pm: Ted’s Notebook*
*Also on Sky Sports main events
Formula 1 heads to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix live from this Friday with every session on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime
