"This is F1, not an academy": Fernando Alonso shares rare criticism of Aston Martin's upgrade approach in the past

Fernando Alonso believes it is unwise to introduce upgrades at the fag end of the season. Speaking to the Spanish edition of the Motorsport Network, the Aston Martin driver criticized the team’s past approach of adding new parts instead of addressing fundamental weaknesses in the car. His criticism comes across as rare, as the 44-year-old is quintessentially fairly supportive of the team and their decisions.

The AMR25 will not receive further upgrades in the 2025 campaign, in line with the approach taken by most teams. Both Alonso and Lance Stroll received updates at Silverstone, Belgium, and Hungary, while at the Dutch GP, only Red Bull and Alpine introduced minor developments.

Alonso argued that introducing upgrades without tangible results is counterproductive. He pointed out that in the past, this was a flaw in Aston Martin’s design and production process. According to the Spaniard, when updates fail to make the car faster, the focus should shift back to refining existing components rather than constantly testing new ones.

Asked how useful it is to evaluate the car when the upgrades don’t work, Fernando Alonso said:

“You learn from mistakes and you learn from things that didn't work. But I don't think it was a good idea to introduce updates that didn't give the expected results. It was therefore a sort of error in the process of design, production and belief that would make the car faster. And when those parts don't make the car faster, you need to go back and figure out where the mistake was made. And like I said, even if we learn from this, it should never have happened. Because this is Formula 1, not an academy where you can test things. Here you have to deliver.”

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Fernando Alonso is optimistic for a competitive result at the Dutch GP

Fernando Alonso is optimistic that Aston Martin can challenge the front-runners at the Dutch GP. The Spaniard believes the strong double-points finish in Hungary was a positive sign and that the team can carry that momentum into Zandvoort.

Alonso showed encouraging pace on Friday, finishing fourth in the opening practice session and climbing to second in FP2. His best lap was just 0.028 seconds shy of Lando Norris in the McLaren. Despite the strong showing, the two-time world champion remained cautious about Aston Martin’s chances in qualifying, admitting that challenging McLaren for pole position would be a difficult task.

Asked if he was optimistic for a competitive result at the Dutch GP, Fernando Alonso said:

“I do Hungary was strong for us, we go into the following race at Zandvoort and we're still showing some good pace in free practice. We know it's only free practice but it's good to see our times up there and let's see what we can do tomorrow.”

Asked if he could challenge Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris for pole position, he replied:

“No, not really. I don't think it's within our reach to fight with the McLarens but maybe some of the top teams, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, they seem not too far away so we will try to be in that mix.”

Fernando Alonso suggested that Aston Martin’s pace in Hungary was partly down to the circuit layout suiting the AMR25, as he told the media, including Sportskeeda. With former Ferrari aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile now back at work with the team and Adrian Newey leading the technical direction, there is renewed optimism in Aston Martin’s camp about a potential turnaround in form.

The team’s strong pace in Budapest secured a solid points finish, but Zandvoort has shown even more promise. Practice performance indicated that a podium could be within reach for the two-time world champion if the momentum continues into qualifying and the race.