After an impressive showing in free practice, Aston Martin returned to a more “natural” position, fighting alongside midfield rivals for a spot in Q3. Fernando Alonso had expected a drop in performance, as the car tends to run lighter on Friday, but he had hoped for a stronger result. The choice to use hard tyres for the race was unusual and represents a calculated gamble for the team.
What initially seemed like the weekend’s potential surprise turned into a step back for Aston Martin, not only compared to the other top teams but also relative to Racing Bulls and Williams. Although other leading teams were expected to have a bit more in reserve—so much so that Aston Martin’s own projections placed them competing for the fourth row—there remains a bitter aftertaste.
Lance Stroll’s early qualifying incident, which will force him to start from the back, along with Fernando Alonso’s tenth-place grid position behind other midfield competitors, realistically limits Aston Martin’s chances of gaining valuable points in the Constructors’ Championship.
Perhaps most surprising is how, at the decisive moment, the team fell short of staying close to the top group, and at least ahead of midfield rivals. Indeed, Alonso’s Q2 lap, if replicated in the final run, would have secured an excellent seventh place, splitting the two Ferrari cars.
Even the Ferrari drivers could not reproduce the times they set in the middle phase of qualifying, hindered by the challenge of pushing the SF-25 to its limits. Many drivers complained about the increased intensity of gusts affecting Q3, making it harder to find the ideal balance, a factor Alonso believes may also have influenced Aston Martin’s performance.
Alonso said, “Yes, that’s exactly what happened to me. In Q3 I lost two and a half tenths compared to my Q2 lap. So yes, I think a bit more or less luck in qualifying can change positions, given how tight it all is. Today we were on the unlucky side, but I don’t think we had much more pace. Even in FP3 I was twelfth, so it seems we weren’t faster than yesterday.”
It is not unusual for Aston Martin to take a step back from Friday to Saturday, and the same pattern was observed in Zandvoort, despite the track suiting the AMR25. Like in Hungary, the team can afford to run higher downforce on the wings, compensating for the lack of bodywork load, while limiting time lost on straights due to drag.
Often, the Silverstone squad uses a bit more engine power on Friday and runs a lighter car, so the step back relative to other teams, like Red Bull, who improved their setup overnight between Saturday and Sunday, is not surprising. Only in Budapest and Monaco was this drop not observed, partly due to a lower effect of weight.
Alonso added, “Probably yesterday we ran with less fuel than other cars, which explains the difference. But yes, this happens often. On Friday we are at 100%, while others need some practice to find the optimal setup so that everything works well, including the drivers.”
“Fortunately, I have the experience to quickly learn circuits and cars, so in Q1 or FP1 I don’t need much time to be at 100%, while others improve gradually, and eventually, you end up in the position the car deserves. Today that was tenth. We reached Q3, which is usually the weekend goal: be in the top 10 on Saturday and then score points on Sunday.”
“I think our prediction before qualifying was around seventh or eighth. So yes, we are in tenth, not the best position to start from, but every weekend we aim to reach Q3 on Saturday and score points on Sunday. Let’s see if tomorrow we can get points and more or less reach our objectives.”
Looking at the data, on Friday Aston Martin gained in the first sector and the twistiest corners of the second sector, which challenged other top teams the most. Overnight, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari managed to make progress in these areas, while Aston Martin remained a bit stagnant, limiting improvements.
This allowed Williams and Racing Bulls, aside from Isack Hadjar’s outstanding performance, to leapfrog Alonso and position themselves ahead at the end. Despite the result, there are positive aspects from the weekend, such as the car appearing more consistent once the last updates, which didn’t fully work, were removed, even considering how well the track suits the AMR25.
Alonso said, “I think many things have changed, and there are a couple of new components that, in my opinion, have awakened the car and the aerodynamic platform a bit. I think we are now in a better situation than in Budapest. But there is still a long way to go. As we saw here, we struggle to reach Q3, so there is still much work to do.”
Looking ahead to the race, realistic progress will be difficult, especially if the race is straightforward. It is interesting to note that Aston Martin is one of the very few teams to retain two sets of hard tyres for the race, despite expectations that it will be a one-stop strategy.
An unusual move, which also had an important impact on Alonso’s qualifying, leaving him with one fewer set of soft tyres than rivals. This decision would not make sense if Aston Martin was not confident it could be an advantage. The team probably chose to be cautious in case the race shifts to a two-stop scenario, as the AMR25 tends to be more aggressive on tyre wear over long runs than other cars.
Alonso said, “I think overtaking is difficult here, so tenth is not the best place to start. But we have added a bit more weight to the race with our tyre choice. We kept two sets of hards and sacrificed qualifying a bit. Let’s see tomorrow if this choice pays off.”
“This race has always been a one-stop, but this year, with the pit lane limited to 80 km/h, there may be a chance to do two stops, although we are not sure. So we will approach the race with an open mind, see how the first 15 to 20 laps go, and then make a decision.”
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