Fernando Alonso vents frustration: “I’d like to move ahead like everyone else, but we can’t”

Fernando Alonso finished ninth in the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, finally opening his points tally for the season after a grueling race that saw him hovering around 12th place for much of the event.

His fortunes turned in the closing laps thanks to a timely safety car, which allowed him to climb into 10th place after overtaking Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson, before gaining another position due to Max Verstappen’s penalty.

Alonso acknowledges Aston Martin got lucky

Reflecting on the race, Alonso acknowledged the role of luck in his result: “We had that bit of luck at the end. Without the safety car, scoring points would have been difficult because we were running 10th, 11th, and 12th for most of the race. Maybe we didn’t deserve the points, but they came, and I’m happy we had that stroke of luck. We deserved them more in Imola and Monaco. At least we can celebrate this small result with the fans—I know it’s not much, but seeing the grandstands on their feet in the final laps gave us that extra boost.”

The points were hard-earned after a challenging start to the season, with Alonso recalling his struggles in Miami, where he finished 20 seconds behind the second-to-last car. However, he noted that recent upgrades have improved Aston Martin’s performance, allowing him to reach Q3 three times and create opportunities to score.

Alonso says overtaking is an issue

Despite the progress, Alonso admitted that race pace and straight-line speed remain weaknesses, forcing him to get creative with overtaking:

“All my overtakes were on the outside of Turn 3, which isn’t a usual passing spot. I have to invent overtakes in difficult places—like in Imola, where I passed out of Turn 7. I’d love to overtake on the straights with DRS like everyone else, but right now, we just can’t.”

The Spaniard pushed himself to the limit in the Spanish GP. Despite the result, he admitted the challenge of fighting for minor points:

“Unfortunately, we’ve got used to giving everything for a tenth-place finish. In Suzuka, I completely emptied myself for an 11th—it was my best race of the year, yet completely anonymous. I’d love to open the DRS and overtake, but when I do, the cars ahead just pull away. We need to improve our top speed. After five laps, we had no front-left tire left, which is why I locked up.”

Alonso also emphasized the importance of giving his all for the fans, acknowledging their dedication: “Everyone comes to the race to see you give your maximum effort. It would be easy to throw in the towel and settle, but people make sacrifices to be here with their families. We have to give everything. This wasn’t a race to remember, but at least everyone knows we gave it our all, as always.”

Next up, Canada

Looking ahead, Alonso is optimistic about the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix, a track that has historically suited him and Aston Martin:

“Canada should be kinder to us—it’s a circuit that has always worked well for us, and I’m optimistic. Hopefully, we’ll get some new parts that give us another step forward.”

With a week to regroup, Alonso and his team will aim to capitalize on a more favorable circuit and continue their push for stronger results.

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