Fernando Alonso plays down Hungary update as key to Aston Martin future. Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin's Budapest upgrade won't be the only factor.

Fernando Alonso has insisted that Aston Martin’s major upgrade package for the Hungarian Grand Prix will be important, but not decisive, when it comes to determining his future with the team.

Newey’s all-in approach

“Fernando Alonso is eagerly awaiting this upgrade and, if the performance is good enough, we hope he’ll stay behind the wheel for another season.”

That was Adrian Newey’s message as he expressed his hope that Aston Martin can convince the two-time Formula 1 world champion to remain with the team through a major development package scheduled to debut in Hungary in just over two weeks.

Aston Martin has been working relentlessly to introduce what is effectively a B-spec version of its car. The chassis has undergone new crash tests after being significantly lightened, as the biggest weakness of Adrian Newey‘s first Aston Martin design has been the car’s excess weight.

Newey described the upcoming package as follows:

“The architecture of the chassis and gearbox remains fundamentally unchanged, but we’ve reduced the weight of both, which required a new homologation process and fresh crash tests on the front section of the chassis. The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension has been slightly revised. We’ve developed a new nose and made substantial revisions to the aerodynamic surfaces.”

Alonso’s reservations

Speaking at Silverstone, Alonso made it clear that while the Hungary upgrades are important, they will not be the deciding factor in his future.

“I can’t say there’s a direct connection,” Alonso said, as quoted by PlanetF1.com, when asked whether he would remain at Aston Martin if the Hungary upgrades proved successful. “Regardless of whether the car is good or not, there are other factors to consider. The car could be fantastic, and I might still feel that this sport is heading in the wrong direction.”

“Or perhaps the car won’t make a big step forward in Budapest, but we could have another upgrade later on, or a completely new concept for next year. Or maybe a different atmosphere within the team develops that makes me feel like continuing for a few more seasons,” Alonso added.

“When I go on holiday on August 1, it would certainly be nice if we’d had a strong race in Budapest just beforehand, but that won’t be the only thing I’ll take into account.”