Alonso pins Spa nightmare on track layout and turns to Hungary for redemption – Since the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year, Aston Martin had managed to stay quietly efficient, consistently picking up points and keeping their noses out of the chaos further up the grid. That run, however, came to a screeching halt in Belgium, where the green machines resembled more of a moving chicane than a midfield menace. Fernando Alonso, never short of insight or subtle shade, has offered his take on what went wrong.
“I think it was the track layout. At least, I want to believe that,” Alonso said with a tone that landed somewhere between optimistic and mildly exasperated. The two-time world champion was speaking ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, a race that historically has brought him far better fortunes, including his very first win back in 2003.
Aston Martin’s AMR25 looked utterly out of sorts at Spa, qualifying in a dismal 19th and 20th, and ultimately failing to trouble the points-paying positions. For a team that has at least managed to hang around the lower half of the top ten for most of the year, the Belgian Grand Prix was, in Alonso’s words, “not competitive from the very first free practice session.”
Adding to the gloom was the strategic misfire of betting on a wet race. Spoiler alert: it didn’t come. “We were counting on a completely wet race. That didn’t happen. So there was a bit of bad luck involved too,” Alonso sighed, clearly reliving the frustration. But in the end, he circled back to the Spa circuit’s layout as the main culprit. “The car wasn’t really any different from previous races. I still think the layout was the main factor.”
MORE F1 – Red Bull blocks Verstappen quitting
Hungaroring brings hope and déjà vu
The F1 caravan now shifts to Hungary, a tight and twisty circuit affectionately known as “Monaco without the walls.” It is a track that rewards high downforce and driver finesse, rather than the brute horsepower and low-drag efficiency needed at Spa. That’s precisely why Alonso feels there’s reason to hope.
“Hopefully it’ll be enough for Q3, or at least for us to be a bit more competitive,” said Alonso, who sounded more cautiously optimistic than usual. “At Spa, we were 19th and 20th in qualifying. We obviously want to avoid that here. But you never know, because ten cars are within two or three tenths of a second.”
Yes, the midfield remains a ruthless game of musical chairs played at 200 miles per hour, where even a sneeze from a wind tunnel in Brackley can shuffle the pecking order.
But Alonso is not just hoping for a better showing. He’s also keeping expectations grounded. “For us, it’s about finishing in the top half of the standings,” he said. “But that’s not our top priority. After all, we want to be good every weekend. We’re not here just to have fun.”
Although, given recent form, the definition of “fun” at Aston Martin may need a serious rewrite.
Limited tools, limited time, but still grinding
Alonso knows there’s only so much that can be done during a race weekend, especially with the current freeze on major upgrades as teams pivot towards the 2026 regulations. “There’s not much room to suddenly make the car magically faster,” he admitted. “So we just have to do our best, stay focused, and see what happens.”
In true F1 fashion, Aston Martin is still trying to fine-tune what they’ve got rather than bolt on anything revolutionary. The Silverstone-based squad has been conducting comparative tests with different underbody specifications, but according to Alonso, “we didn’t get all the information we had hoped for during test drives at Silverstone.”
They’ll have another chance during Friday’s free practice in Hungary, but even that won’t be extensive. “We’ll try to gain new insights,” said Alonso. “But regularly switching between underbody variants like we did last year? That’s something we want to avoid this year if possible.”
That alone may be the most quietly telling statement of the weekend. In 2024, Aston Martin were throwing parts at the car like darts at a pub wall. This year, it’s more about squeezing performance from what they already know… or at least, think they know.
The echoes of a Hungarian past
For all the current struggles, Hungary remains a nostalgic venue for Alonso. It was here in 2003, at the tender age of 22, that he took his maiden Grand Prix victory with Renault, becoming the youngest ever winner at the time.
“That was obviously something special,” he said, gazing into the rearview mirror of memory. But don’t expect a long tale of champagne and fireworks.
“I honestly don’t remember much about that day,” Alonso admitted with a wry smile. “We flew to Poland that same day. We had to be at a show early Monday morning—Flavio Briatore, Jarno Trulli, and I. So I couldn’t really celebrate the win on Sunday evening because a marketing day followed. That was a bit of a shame.”
Ah yes, the glamorous life of a Formula 1 driver, where the afterparty sometimes consists of airport security checks and promotional obligations in Warsaw.
MORE F1 NEWS – Red Bull blocks Verstappen quitting
So what next for Aston Martin?
Hungary could be a turning point, or just another footnote in an increasingly anonymous season for the green team. After their electric start to 2023, expectations were sky-high, but 2025 has so far resembled a slow deflation of hope, one underwhelming weekend at a time.
The development pipeline is drying up. The underbody tests are inconclusive. The midfield is a meat grinder. And Alonso, as ever, is managing expectations with a veteran’s calm and a realist’s tone.
Still, if there is any circuit where the AMR25 can find a second wind, the Hungaroring might just be it. And with 22 years of experience, Alonso knows better than most that fortunes in Formula 1 can swing faster than a Red Bull PR crisis.
So what do you think, jury? Will Alonso claw his way back into contention at the Hungaroring, or is Aston Martin destined for another anonymous weekend? Drop your verdict in the comments below and let us know whether you’re Team Optimism or bracing for another green-washed disappointment.
We’re trying to grow a new online F1 community where your opinions matter as much as any paddock whisper—so be sure to follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheJudge13 and join the conversation. #TJ13
MORE F1 NEWS – FIA face universal criticism over HUGE blunder
Back to back Formula weekends in Silverstone and then Spa, were to suffer the worst of the North European weather conditions. Heavy rain affected both races, but the FIA race control handled the deluge in extremely different ways.
The debrief from the British Grand Prix saw a number of the driver’s suggest the FIA could have delayed the start by 20-30 minutes as the forecast was for improving conditions. The start in Belgium was handled well by the race director, who sent the cars out on a formation lap which was then immediately red flagged which meant the three hour clock for the race to be completed did not start.
Torrential rain returned twenty minutes after the scheduled start and it was plain for all to see that racing at that time was not possible. But the heavy rain cleared up relatively quickly and all that remained for the forty minutes before the actual start was sanctioned by race control, was some light drizzle followed by around fifteen minutes of sunshine which resulted in the track beginning to dry quickly…. READ MORE
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.
