As Aston Martin gears up for the 2025 Formula 1 season-opening round at the Australian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso enters his third year with the Silverstone-based outfit.
Speaking in a media session in Melbourne on Thursday, the two-time world champion offered insights into where the team stands after pre-season testing and what the future might hold.
Progress, but not perfection
Aston Martin made significant strides over the winter break, yet both Alonso and his teammate, Lance Stroll, acknowledge that the AMR25 may not be where they want it to be.
Stroll, while optimistic about improvements, admits the car is still not on par with the frontrunners.
“I think we know that we’ve made a step. We know that it’s not as big as we want it to be, to fight for the positions we want to fight for. Those are things we know. That’s it. There has been that step in terms of the car’s stability and the feel,” Stroll remarked, according to PitDebrief.
The Canadian also highlighted the challenge of adapting to the car’s handling. “It’s a relative game. I think there are some corners stronger than other corners in Bahrain. The car can feel great and can still be slow. The car can feel terrible and be fast. I think we’ll just see how we look this weekend and the first few races and how competitive we are and go from there.”
Despite the cautious outlook, Stroll is focused on long-term progress rather than immediate results.
“Everyone wants that to happen overnight. Does it happen overnight? No. How quickly does it happen? No one has an answer to that question. We’ve just got to push as hard as we can and keep grinding every day to try and get to where we want to get to.“
Testing performance: cautious optimism
The AMR25 struggled at the Bahrain pre-season test, leaving many wondering whether it will fare better on the Albert Park Circuit’s high-speed corners and smooth surface. However, Alonso remains pragmatic about the team’s position.
“I think it’s pretty much the same, we should not have any big changes. So yeah, let’s see where are we. In testing there is always different programmes for everybody, so we are all curious to see where are we.
“But taking into account also that it’s a completely different track than Bahrain, it’s a very smooth track, a lot of high speed corners, long straights, so it could be better or worse for different cars and different packages.”
With the grid appearing more competitive than ever, Alonso emphasised the need for patience and adaptability.
“The first part of the year is going to be interesting to really maximise the package and learn the strengths of the car and the weaknesses, especially on Sundays when we compare to other cars around.”
Unresolved issues from 2024
One of the biggest challenges for Aston Martin in 2024 was the car’s balance and stability, particularly in different track conditions. Alonso acknowledged that while the team has worked hard to improve these areas, the AMR25 is still not entirely where he wants it to be.
“It is better, still not 100% on a happy place, but I think it could be, as I said, the same for everybody. It depends on the conditions. Especially in Bahrain, every day is a new adventure there, depending on the wind and the temperature, we found three different cars in the three different days testing, and it will be the fourth different car tomorrow when we hit the track because it’s a completely new nature of layout for the car.”
Alonso and the team will use the practice sessions in Melbourne to continue gathering data and refining their approach.
“So keeping very calm, very pragmatic as I said, every session trying to learn about the car and in qualifying, same time and same conditions for everybody, let’s see where are we.“
Patience is key
Unlike other sports, Formula 1 success isn’t instant, and Alonso is realistic about the time needed to fully develop a competitive car.
“No, I think the package is completed now, so we will need time.
“This is not football, football is very easy, you take the best pitch, the best manager, the best players and eventually you win maybe the next match. In Formula 1 you can have the best facilities and the best people but you still need time to put all the ingredients together and win. We have so many examples in Formula 1 history.”
With key personnel changes, including Andy Cowell taking over as Team Principal and the addition of Adrian Newey, Aston Martin is hoping to build towards future title contention, particularly with the regulation changes in 2026.
Alonso remains cautiously optimistic but knows nothing is guaranteed. “I think now the team is not lacking anything compared to the top teams in terms of facilities and people and talent and wind tunnel, all these kind of things, but we still need the time to put everything together.
“I hope that 2025 will be enough to use that time in taking all the lessons and learning and preparing the 2026, it matches quite well with the change of regulation also for next year but there is no guarantee.”
Can Aston Martin return to the top?
After a strong start in 2023, followed by struggles in 2024, Aston Martin has had difficulty maintaining consistent performance. Alonso believes they have taken a step forward, but the competition has done the same, making the battle for positions even tighter.
“Yes we did a step forward. The thing was that 2024 we ended up very close together, all the midfield, it seems that even the midfield went quite close to the top teams so the whole grid now is very tight. It’s very difficult to put performance on the car without making the drivability nearly impossible because there is a very fine line of adding performance without disturbing the drivability of the car.”
“So yeah, I think we did a step forward but everyone seems to do the same this last winter so it’s going to be very tight, but I’m not too worried. It’s time for us to deliver something extra on the weekends and we have the right people, we have the talent and we have the confidence so let’s see at the end of the year.”
Final Thoughts
Aston Martin faces an uphill battle in 2025, but Alonso remains committed to the project. The combination of new leadership, experienced personnel, and a steady development approach could lead to title contention.
However, both Alonso and Stroll acknowledge that patience and consistency will be key in bridging the gap to the top teams.
While the Australian Grand Prix will provide the first true test of Aston Martin’s progress, the bigger question remains: can they truly challenge for wins before the major 2026 regulation changes?
Feature Image Credit: Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team
