Alonso keeps expectations low as Aston Martin waits for its real test in Budapest

Spa won’t bring anything new for Aston Martin — at least not yet. That’s why, beyond hearing Fernando Alonso’s thoughts on this Formula 1 weekend in Belgium, the real curiosity was about next week, when the team finally rolls out its first major upgrade package for the AMR26 chassis. And Alonso, like much of the team, is staying cautious about what’s coming.

“It’s hard to quantify the improvement”

Alonso admits he no longer trusts early estimates: “It’s difficult to quantify the gain or make an estimate, because I thought we already had enough experience calculating performance gains — and we didn’t get them.”

He believes Aston Martin has now found the right direction: “I think the car’s philosophy maybe wasn’t the right one, and we’re changing it. We’re making different modifications, reducing weight.”

For Alonso, the priority isn’t a number — it’s confidence: “More than putting a number on it, it’s about gaining trust in what we’re doing, also for next year. Maybe after next weekend’s race we’ll have a better idea. Even Thursday or Friday in Budapest, there will be a lot of testing to reach a conclusion.”

He also highlights the factory’s effort to fix issues that appeared early in the season, echoing team boss Mike Krack.

Newey’s prediction: fighting for Q2 and maybe points

Alonso won’t make promises, but others have. Adrian Newey said at Silverstone that Aston Martin hopes to fight for Q2 and even for points.

Would that be enough for Alonso?

“It would. Right now we’re at the back, so we can take that step. Fighting for points would be incredible, but we have to stay calm.”

He warns that even with upgrades, some tracks won’t show big gains — especially Monza: “Even with a better car, it won’t make a big difference because there are only six corners and we depend a lot on available energy at those circuits, and we won’t improve much in that aspect.”

In short: performance will vary by track, and when a good opportunity comes, Aston Martin must capitalize.

Spa as a waiting room

There’s nothing special expected from Spa, so Alonso approaches it almost as a checkpoint before Hungary: “It’s hard to predict performance race by race; the feeling changes and I think it will be complicated for everyone because of the regulations and available energy. We’re still running the same car we had in Bahrain testing, and the leaders keep improving. We started slow and every race we seem slower because everyone else improves.”

So the plan is simple: “We have this weekend ahead, and we hope the next one is better.”

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.