Fernando Alonso’s team radio after learning he made it to Q2 for the first time this season says a lot.
Fernando Alonso’s reaction to making it into Q2 for the first time this season said a lot after Aston Martin’s tough 2026 season. The team, backed by Lawrence Stroll, has been struggling at the back of the grid all year, and there were even doubts about whether they’d race in the first Grand Prix in Australia.
Team boss Adrian Newey had warned that both Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll might not finish races because of a shortage of spare batteries and big vibrations from the car’s Honda engine. Progress has been slow, with only one point so far, earned when Alonso finished 10th in Monaco.
But behind the scenes, Aston Martin has been working hard on upgrades for the Hungarian Grand Prix, fitting 16 new parts on both cars before Friday’s practice. There was a scare when Stroll’s suspension failed leaving turn two, but Alonso said the car felt “much better” in a chat with Sky Sports.
“It’s more predictable and easier to drive, but we still have a long way to go,” Alonso said. “This is just the first step.”
On Saturday, Alonso made it into the second qualifying session (Q2) for the first time this year by finishing 16th, while Stroll was 20th. Alonso was just a tenth of a second faster than the 17th place driver, Haas’s Ollie Bearman, who didn’t make it through.
Alonso, a two-time world champion, congratulated his team but quickly focused on the next goal. “Alright, good job,” he told his race engineer. “Maybe a bit more to come from the next set of tires. Let’s go.” His engineer replied, “Yep, let’s go.”
During Q2, Alonso was even heard saying, “This is a car to drive.” He was inside the top 10 before the final runs but dropped to 16th, just barely behind Haas’s Esteban Ocon.
“The car feels more stuck to the ground,” Alonso told reporters. “It’s easier to drive when you have grip in the corners. We need to find more speed both on the chassis and the engine. Zandvoort will be a good test with the new engine. Step by step, but we’re definitely heading in the right direction.”
“What’s really encouraging is that the new parts are doing what we expected. The way the car behaves on track matches what we hoped for, and that helps with plans for next year. There’s a positive mood in the team now.”
Alonso, who turns 45 next week, hasn’t decided yet if he’ll continue racing beyond this season. But his comments give hope he might stay with Aston Martin for a while longer.