Last Updated on May 6 2025, 11:52 am
Alonso’s frustration mounts after another futile weekend in Miami – The 2025 Formula One season continues to test the patience and resolve of Fernando Alonso, whose campaign with Aston Martin has taken another disappointing turn. At the Miami Grand Prix, the two-time World Champion was once again denied the chance to fight for points, finishing a disappointing 15th after starting from 17th on the grid.
Despite a well-timed pit stop under a virtual safety car, Alonso was unable to find a breakthrough performance and his growing disillusionment was plain to see. What began as a potentially strategic race for Alonso ended in another frustrating finish outside the top ten.
Another empty return
A virtual safety car period offered an opportunity to gain track position and the team called him in for a timely stop. But that glimmer of hope quickly faded. Alonso couldn’t get any meaningful performance out of the AMR25, which looked no closer to competing with the midfield leaders than it had at the start of the season.
He also suffered a brief spin during the race, although the incident had little impact on his final classification.
“I lost five seconds and ten laps later I was back behind the same cars,” said Alonso. It was a telling comment – an admission that, even when mistakes were corrected, the car’s fundamental pace deficit left no room for recovery.
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After six races, Alonso remains without a single championship point. In post-race interviews, he was candid about the problems that continue to plague Aston Martin’s performance.
“The weekends have been very similar,” he said. “We’ve always had challenges.”
It’s a pattern that has become familiar to the 43-year-old: relatively decent qualifying sessions followed by stagnation in the race.
Alonso explained that Aston Martin has sometimes qualified slightly better than expected, only to fall victim to the dynamics of modern F1 racing.
“We start a bit further up the grid than we should,” he noted. “Then we get stuck in DRS trains, following these cars. There’s a bit of contact, a few mistakes and we always finish the races in a reasonably reasonable position – look at Japan”.
In that race, as in Saudi Arabia, Alonso finished 11th, just out of the points.
No margin for error
Alonso admitted that the Aston Martin’s current performance window leaves little chance of scoring points on merit.
“I did everything right in Japan – P11. Jeddah was perfect too,” he said. But both times the team came up just short. The implication is clear: unless chaos intervenes, Aston Martin simply lacks the race pace to consistently challenge for the top ten.
And chaos, as Alonso pointed out, has come and gone a few times this season – with little reward.
“I think we have three or four chances a year to score points in chaotic races. We’ve already had three of them this year,” he reflected.
“One in Australia – I made a mistake, hit the gravel and went off the track. In China, three or four cars were disqualified and I had burning brakes on the first lap.”
In Miami, the team made a costly decision in the sprint shootout by staying too long on intermediate tyres when the track was drying: “On Saturday, the track was ready for slicks, but we stayed on intermediates too long,” said Alonso.
“In my case, I missed three opportunities to score points. I think there will be one or two more opportunities during the season. Let’s hope we don’t miss them.”
No insight into development – only hope
When asked if the upcoming upgrades could improve the situation, Alonso distanced himself from the technical details, saying that he leaves such matters to Aston Martin’s management and engineering team.
“They know what’s in the pipeline. They’re working really hard and we’re supporting them,” he said.
Alonso insisted that his focus remains on getting the most out of the cars he’s been given, but it’s clear that frustrations are mounting. The 2025 car, which was supposed to build on the foundations of last year’s challenger, has instead stagnated or regressed compared to its rivals.
Aston Martin began 2023 as a consistent podium contender, but by the end of that season had already begun to lose momentum.
Now, a third of the way through 2025, it seems that early promise has all but disappeared.
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Eyes on Imola – but with tempered expectations
Despite the setbacks, Alonso refuses to throw in the towel. With the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola just two weeks away, he remains determined to make progress, however modest.
“We are not giving up. Imola is next and we know we have to improve,” he said.
It’s the mindset of a veteran – realistic, but relentless. Alonso knows what it takes to compete at the front, but he also understands when a team is fundamentally out of the fight. Aston Martin’s problems go deeper than race strategy or driver execution. They appear to be structurally linked to the car’s development path and perhaps even the AMR25’s core design philosophy.
With the midfield battle in 2025 tighter than ever, scoring even a single point will require a perfect combination of execution, strategy, reliability and luck. Alonso is still capable of doing his part, but it’s clear that the team isn’t holding up its end of the bargain.
Where does that leave Aston Martin and Alonso?
Aston Martin’s slump could not come at a more crucial time. The team has invested heavily in its new factory, technical staff and infrastructure, all with the intention of becoming a title contender.
But in a rapidly evolving sport, the window to capitalise on the momentum is narrow. Other teams – such as McLaren and Mercedes – are already forging ahead with improved packages and clearer development directions.
For Alonso, the situation may be even more delicate. At 43, he remains one of the most competitive and dedicated drivers on the grid, but the patience that once saw him through fallow spells at McLaren and Alpine is wearing thin. He rejoined the sport to be competitive, not to relive the wilderness years.
Unless Aston Martin can turn its fortunes around soon – either through a significant mid-season upgrade or a breakthrough in set-up philosophy – the tension between ambition and reality will only grow. Alonso’s public frustration is unlikely to remain just a reflection of poor results; it could soon escalate into questions about his future with the team.
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A long season ahead
With 18 races to go, Alonso and Aston Martin are not out of time, but they are out of options. Unless something changes quickly, the narrative of 2025 will shift from missed opportunities to systemic failure. The Miami Grand Prix may be remembered not just as another low point, but as the weekend when hope began to fade.
Alonso, always the fighter, is not ready to give up. But unless the car improves soon, even his famous resilience could be tested to the limit. As the grid moves on to Imola, all eyes will be on Aston Martin to see if they can finally give him the car he deserves – or if another race will pass without reward.Alonso breaks silence as Miami proves the final straw.
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MORE F1 NEWS – Doohan axed as Colapinto steps in for Imola
Storm clouds over the Alps: Jack Doohan axed as Franco Colapinto steps in for Imola – A turbulent start to the 2025 Formula One season has culminated in a swift and dramatic change at the Alpine garage. According to multiple sources, including Germany’s often reliable RTL TV network, the French team are preparing to bench Jack Doohan ahead of the upcoming Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, with Franco Colapinto reportedly set to take the second seat.
While official confirmation is yet to come, insiders suggest that the decision has already been made following another disappointing outing for Doohan in Miami. The Australian’s early crash on the opening lap appears to have been the final straw for Flavio Briatore’s Alpine bosses.
This sudden driver change – still unofficial but widely expected – marks one of the most abrupt mid-season changes in recent memory, and signals the end of a rapidly deteriorating relationship between Doohan and the Alpine Formula One project… READ MORE ON THIS STORY
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
Aston Martin F1 is pathetic, a joke. My sympathy is with Alonso. He was so fired up and enthusiastic in 2023, only to be let down by the team’s impotence in sustaining the car’s performance. I certainly hope 007 is taking note…