Encouraging signs from Aston Martin in the 2025 Australian GP qualifying session. The team owned by Lawrence Stroll may find it harder to maintain its role as the fifth-strongest team this year, but at least the fight for points seems like a concrete goal—one that has also revitalized Fernando Alonso, who appeared rather cryptic after Friday’s free practice sessions. The Spaniard set the 12th-fastest time, while Lance Stroll will start right behind him in 13th on the grid.
Fernando Alonso: “We Had a Fast Car”
The AMR25’s behavior at Albert Park satisfied Fernando Alonso, despite a Saturday that was not without setbacks. As the Spaniard admitted, Aston Martin’s work in FP3 that morning did not bring any improvements, and on top of that, the car suffered floor damage from a curb—similar to what happened to Kimi Antonelli, though in a different part of the circuit. “In FP3, we tried some experiments but had to revert to the FP2 setup. We had a fast car: in Q1, we were just two-tenths off the best, and in Q2, the car sustained floor damage when I went a bit wide and hit the curb at Turn 10.”
The two-time Formula 1 world champion seemed energized by the qualifying result and, looking ahead to the race and the possibility of rain, has his sights set on the points: “We ended up close to the top 10 despite some floor damage. I think it’s a good sign that we were fighting for Q3 in the first qualifying session of the season. Let’s see if it rains tomorrow because this isn’t an easy place to race in the wet due to visibility. We’re ready and hoping to score some points.” – he pointed out.
Stroll: “Tomorrow Will Be an Interesting Race”
Lance Stroll was also satisfied with his qualifying result. The Canadian has often delivered strong performances in wet conditions, so a rainy Australian GP could present a good opportunity. “I think that, considering everything we’ve seen this weekend, P13 is a good result for us. In Q2, we were only a tenth or two away. It’s not where we want to be, but compared to the rest of the weekend, qualifying was our most competitive session. Tomorrow’s race looks interesting—if it rains, things could change. In these conditions, there’s a chance to score points, but confidence in the car will be key.”
Aston Martin team principal Andy Cowell shared the same view, expressing some regret over missing out on Q3: “After Q1, it looked like we had a chance to make it into the top 10, but in Q2, that opportunity slipped away. The car didn’t gain the performance improvements we were expecting during the session, so we’ll keep working to improve its drivability. The weather forecast suggests rain, which could make things interesting. There’s a lot at stake tomorrow, and from P12 and P13, we can aim for some points.” – the British Formula 1 engineer concluded at the end of the qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix.
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