“A bit unfair”: Fernando Alonso rues underwhelming result in Imola

Fernando Alonso left Imola empty-handed despite showing solid race pace and qualifying form throughout the Emilia-Romagna GP weekend. The Aston Martin driver, who started fifth, saw his race take a turn after a late Virtual Safety Car ruined his tire advantage as he finished just outside the points.

The Spaniard was frustrated after the race, which he believed should have comfortably yielded points.

Speaking to the media post-race, Alonso reflected on the outcome (via Planet F1).

"I think in 100 scenarios of the race, 99 were okay for us to score strong points for the team today. One was not, and it did happen. Let's hope for other races that maybe we don't deserve the points and we do score because of luck. Today, I think it's a bit unfair."

Having qualified P5 with teammate Lance Stroll in P8, Aston Martin entered Sunday confidently. The team had brought a key upgrade package to Imola, and the early race pace from both cars reflected that development. The drivers held their positions initially, running comfortably within the top 10 and looking well-placed for a strong one-stop race.

Fernando Alonso (14) and Lance Stroll (18) make pit stops during the Imola GP. Source: Getty

But Fernando Alonso's fortunes turned on Lap 29 after Esteban Ocon's retirement triggered a Virtual Safety Car. While Aston Martin had just pitted, it opted to stay out on hard tires, hoping to preserve track position. However, several rivals took the opportunity to pit for fresh tires, allowing them to sweep past the Spaniard in the following laps.

"The car was very strong today and I was having a good race until the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) turned our race upside down. I think without this VSC we could have been fighting for P6 or P7 and scored points on merit... It's a real shame but let's hope for better luck in future races," Alonso was quoted as saying by the Formula 1 official website.

Alonso's agitated team radio after the period reflected his growing frustration. The disappointment was compounded by how well the weekend had begun for the team with both drivers reaching Q3. Despite falling outside the top 10 after the VSC, he mounted a spirited comeback, overtaking three cars in nine laps. But the charge came too late.

Tire gamble costs Fernando Alonso points as Max Verstappen wins at Imola

Fernando Alonso walks in parc ferme ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna. Source: Getty

After the Virtual Safety Car gamble backfired, the race slipped away from Aston Martin. Andrea Kimi Antonelli's late-race retirement brought out a full Safety Car, giving Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll another chance to switch to fresher tires. Alonso pushed hard in the closing laps but had too much ground to make up.

He eventually finished less than two seconds off a points finish at P11, while Stroll dropped to P15. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen claimed his second win of the season after holding off Lando Norris in a tense final stint.

Aston Martin's Team principal, Andy Cowell, acknowledged the fine margins that cost the team at Imola.

"We came within a whisker of scoring points, but the racing luck was not on our side today. A promising one-stop strategy was undone by the timing of the Virtual Safety Car which dropped both Fernando and Lance outside the points. With hindsight, we could have pitted again under the VSC, but we didn't want to sacrifice track position. We then struggled to hold off those cars with a tyre advantage," Cowell said (via Aston Martin).

Fernando Alonso (14) on the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari grid. Source: Getty

Cowell also pointed to the overall positives from Imola, like the new upgrade package and qualifying. While the result didn't match the performance, the direction was encouraging. Both drivers delivered clean weekends, with no mistakes, and the team believes the development momentum will help heading into Monaco.