Fernando Alonso has explained why he doesn’t “care too much” about what newer Formula 1 fans might think about certain aspects of the sport that concern him.

The Spaniard is currently in his 22nd season of F1, having made his debut for Minardi back in 2001, a year that predates the birth of six drivers on the current grid.

Alonso is now in his third campaign with Aston Martin, and has already set his sights on next year, and has many reasons to be confident.

The sport will introduce its new set of regulations, giving teams a blank slate in terms of competition, plus Aston can boast the talents of Adrian Newey on the design front.

With Alonso, therefore, able to target race wins next year, by which time he will have turned 45, the topic could naturally turn to the veteran seeing success at such an age.

When asked before the Belgian Grand Prix if Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg, who took his first F1 podium this year at age 38, could see themselves developing before the new, Netflix-age fans, Alonso, speaking to media including Motorsport Week, was politely dismissive, saying there is no “straightforward answer.”

“Actually, I don’t think Nico… or think we both don’t care too much about what the next-generation fans think,” he said.

“We only try to win races, try to work with our team the best we can, and deliver the performance.”

Alonso: ‘We love the fans’ but they ‘don’t have the full picture’

Alonso explained the logic behind what laypeople may perceive as a dismissive take on the issue, saying that, naturally, fans will not know how drivers work behind the scenes.

“The fans and the people outside watching TV, they don’t have the full picture of what is going on and the difference in performance between the cars,” he said.

“So, if next year Nico and myself have a winning car and we win eight consecutive races and fight for the championship, then they will think that we ate something different in winter or had a different training programme and we learned how to drive in the winter.

“This is not really the reality. We train every day, eat every day, travel every day, go to the simulator every day. We try to be better and better every day with our teams.”

Alonso concluded by saying that he, like all drivers, wish to give the fans the opportunity to share in their successes, but in the midst of competition, it’s not at the forefront of their minds.

“When we achieve the result, we just try to share it with them and our fans around the world — but they are not in our priority,” he added.

“And it cannot sound rude to anyone — we love the fans — but we don’t think about of if they realise how good or bad we drive.

“That is more for the team and the technical aspect of the sport, I think.”

READ MORE – How Nico Hulkenberg helped Haas discover harmony with new F1 driver line-up

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Fernando Alonso has supported Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich‘s bid for a full-time Formula 1 race seat in 2026.

Drugovich has been waiting in the wings with the Silverstone-based squad since winning the Formula 2 title in 2022, having joined its development programme.

In that time, the Brazilian has become part of its regular reserve driver roster, but has been unable to find a race seat with Aston or with any other team.

The closest Drugovich has come was in the build-up to the Canadian Grand Prix, when Lance Stroll was recuperating from hand surgery.

Such was his willingness to accept the drive should he be required, Drugovich was reportedly ready to relinquish his Cadillac Whelen seat at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Alas, Stroll recovered and was able to race, but Alonso believes he is more than ready to race should he be offered a seat.

“It would be great to see him in F1,” Alonso told media including Motorsport Week. “He has an incredible talent, Formula 2 was a demonstration.”

“We can see it here every day when we work with him,” Alonso said.

The Spanish veteran praised Drugovich’s work ethic and performances back at Aston’s HQ and in the free practice appearances he has given for the team.

“The simulator work, some of the free practices that he has,” Alonso cited.

“He has been always delivering the performance that the team was asking, even with very limited kilometres.

“It would be interesting to see him in a full-time drive and I hope it happens.”

Could an F1 offer from Cadillac be matched by a Formula E chance for Drugovich?

Drugovich has been frequently rumoured as a name on the shortlist of candidates for a drive with Cadillac, which will make its F1 debut next year.

With the speculation that the American marque, also to be based at Silverstone, is seeking a young and exciting prospect to be paired with a more experienced driver.

But it is possible Drugovich will have offers elsewhere, including Formula E, in which he made his full race debut for Mahindra in July.

With regular race driver Nyck de Vries fulfilling World Endurance Championship duties, Drugovich partook in the Berlin E-Prix double-header alongside Edo Mortara.

And after a 17th-place finish in Race 1, Drugovich equipped himself well to finish a mightily impressive seventh in Race 2.

After the race, Drugovich told Motorsport Week how he had found a real appreciation of the skillset FE drivers have, due to the hard and fast nature of the racing.

“I already had a lot of appreciation and respect for these guys and they are at a really high level,” he said.

“And it’s often difficult to see that from TV and, you know, it’s very hard to read the race and have a lot of mental capacity to understand and read the race while you’re still racing.”

When asked, having had a proper taste of the racing FE dishes out, if he would be keen to race in the all-electric championship again, Drugovich appeared positive about the prospect.

“That would be nice,” he said. “I think it’s something that I would be very happy to do.”

READ MORE – Fernando Alonso responds to Lance Stroll’s concerns about new 2026 F1 cars

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Fernando Alonso hopes Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll will enjoy the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 regulations reset amid his initial apprehension about the new cars.

Next year will see F1 completely revamp the formula with lighter, nimble cars, a 50-50 hybrid power unit, and other additions such as active aero and narrower profiled Pirelli tires.

And while the sport has claimed that these changes will lead to closer racing and a tighter pack, many drivers have raised concerns about driveability and overall performance.

Stroll is no different. The Aston Martin driver revealed that his first impressions of the 2026 cars on the simulator have left him concerned about driving at fast, flowing circuits.

“For us drivers, for sure, I think these kinds of tracks, Spa, Suzuka, you know, high speed, less downforce, it’s not going to be as exciting as what it is now,” he had told media including Motorsport Week.

“That’s just a fact until maybe a couple of years into the regs or whatever, I don’t know.

“But, it’s going to be a hit in downforce, and we’re going to be sliding around more than what we are now.”

What does Alonso think about the 2026 cars?

Alonso also revealed that he had gotten an opportunity to test the 2026 car on the simulator for the Silverstone-based team.

The two-time World Champion concurred with his team-mate about the lack of downforce compared to the ground effects car, but erred on the side of caution.

“I only did one day in the simulator, and it was difficult to really take any conclusions of that,” he asserted.

The 44-year-old said that he will make up his mind only after testing the real car out on the track, but hopes that the result will change his team-mate’s mind.

“So, I will wait a little bit longer, or maybe even to test a real car, because sometimes in the simulator, you have a feeling, and then on the real car you have a different one,” he continued.

“Yeah, it’s less performance than this year. Every time a racing driver tests something that is slower, [they] will never like [it].

“But then we go in a rental car, with 12 horsepower, and we love it [laughs]. When we are all together, you know, and you fight and you win the race and it’s like you win the championship.

“So yeah, if next year you are fast, we will love the cars. And hopefully Lance can enjoy next year. That will be good news.”

READ MORE – Motorsport Week’s F1 2025 Mid-Season Driver Rankings

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Fernando Alonso has advised Franco Colapinto on how to handle the pressures and demands of Formula 1, saying he has to “control that frustration”.

The Argentinian has endured a difficult season at Alonso’s former stomping ground, Alpine, failing to score points since taking the seat at Imola.

Colapinto was initially said to have been afforded five Grands Prix to prove himself to the Enstone-based squad’s Executive Advisor, Flavio Briatore.

But that has since elapsed, and despite failing to get closer to team-mate Pierre Gasly and former team-mate Jack Doohan, Colapinto has remained in the car.

When asked what an experienced driver can do to advise him with his difficulties, Alonso outlined what he believes to be the basics of what it takes to make it in F1.

“For sure, it’s an extremely competitive environment – Formula 1 but also any elite sport,” he told media including Motorsport Week.

“You have to be ready to deliver your best performance every day.

“And when you don’t deliver, you have to be ready to accept some criticism and try to get better.

“But in Formula 1, I think we have a lot of support from our teams, our engineers, the technology, the data.

“So, I don’t think that it’s a bad place to work and to try to get better every day. There’s not really any advice.

“We all have different ways of driving, different driving techniques, different ways of delivering the job. We are all enjoying our time here.

“It’s true that we all want to win. And if you get to Formula 1, it’s because in your past you had opportunities to win – in karting, in the junior formulas – and then you had the opportunity to get to F1.

“And when you get here, there’s only one guy winning, normally for five or six years in a row because they are dominating.

“So, this is the only thing you have to manage — you have to control that frustration. You need to still deliver 100% knowing that you will not win.”

Colapinto ‘lucky’ but aware that ‘only 20’ drivers get the chance

Colapinto was first handed a shot in F1 last year, taking the place of Logan Sargeant at Williams for the final nine races alongside Alex Albon.

The two points-scoring finishes he produced gave him enough of a reputation as a burgeoning talent that Alpine sprung him out of his contract.

But his inability to close the gap to Gasly has placed him under the spotlight, with many wondering if he will make the grid next year.

There is also competition within the team, as the likes of reserve driver Paul Aron wait in the wings, while Alpine has also been linked with Valtteri Bottas.

Responding to Alonso’s words with an acknowledgement of how coveted a place on the F1 grid is, Colapinto spoke of realising how lucky, therefore, he is to be on it.

“Yeah. I think Formula 1, we all know it’s a tough sport, and we all want to be here,” he addressed.

“There are only twenty places, and it’s always going to be very tricky how you get here.

“It’s a lot of effort, a lot of sacrifice in the past for all the drivers that go to Formula 1.

“And only 20 drivers get to be here, and there are thousands that want to be. So it’s the sport we all love, and we are very lucky to be able to do it.”

READ MORE – How McLaren plans to approach an intra-team F1 title decider

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Three Formula 1 drivers have disagreed with an “extreme” take by Fernando Alonso that only the McLaren drivers are finding the remainder of this season interesting.

With the second half of the season due to recommence in a few weeks, teams are already ploughing resources and attention into 2026, a year of brand new regulations.

This has led to additional juggling by teams to ensure they are prepared for the new dawn of F1, whilst maintaining work on their current prospects for the remainder of this year.

The Spaniard made his comments at the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago, saying the rest of the grid, including team personnel, have “80 per cent” focus on 2026 already.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Alonso theorised, are the only drivers still interested given the likelihood that one of the two men will be crowned World Champion.

“Not only on the engineers and the design team. It’s also the drivers’ ahead, apart maybe from the two McLaren drivers,” Alonso added.

But prior to last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Liam Lawson, Charles Leclerc and Alonso’s Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll offered some contradiction.

“For sure, it’s going to be more exciting for the McLaren drivers than the rest of us,” the Canadian told media including Motorsport Week.

“But every race you never know what’s going to happen. We’re all in our own different battles. Some of us are trying to pick up a point or two and that’s a victory for us as a team.

“McLaren are fighting to win the race every weekend. We’re all fighting our own battles. I’m enjoying every weekend as they come and you never know what’s going to happen.

“The future, next year, like I said earlier, is a big opportunity for all the teams. That’s exciting to see how it’s going to fall into place.”

Drivers ‘fully motivated’ to strive for positive results in 2025

Leclerc concurred with Stroll, saying that every driver on the grid is in their own personal battle to achieve something before the season’s end.

“I agree. It’s maybe a bit extreme to say that only the McLaren drivers will be having fun,” the Monegasque stated. “We are all fighting for something.

“It would be very optimistic for me to say that I’m fighting for the World Championship. That’s not realistic anymore.

“However, we are fighting for coming back to winning races. For that, I’m very excited and I just hope it will be as soon as possible.

“I’m still fully motivated and excited whenever there’s a race.”

Lawson offered agreement to both men, citing Racing Bulls’ current fight in the midfield as an example of how teams and drivers still have so much to strive for.

“These guys said it well,” the Kiwi added. “With how close the midfield is right now, it’s definitely exciting from our perspective depending on how the weekends are going.

“We’re all on our own path and in our own fights. We’re all focused on those individual things at the moment.”

READ MORE – Lewis Hamilton urges F1 to evolve from drivers being ‘bound’ by contracts

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Fernando Alonso has theorised that Gabriel Bortoleto’s “exceptional” results this season for Sauber in Formula 1 have gone under the radar because he is not British.

The 20-year-old rookie made it back-to-back points finishes for the Hinwil-based squad after a stellar career-best sixth-place finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Bortoleto, who has been gaining momentum, started the 70-lap race from seventh on the grid, jumping Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll at the start and maintaining sixth.

Stroll’s Aston Martin team-mate, Fernando Alonso, who is also the Brazilian racing driver’s manager, hailed Bortoleto’s performances.

“He commits few errors, always putting pressure. He’s [Bortoleto] the best rookie of this generation,” he said via ESPN at the Hungaroring on Sunday.

That said, the Spaniard asserted that Bortoleto is not yet getting the recognition he deserves in the paddock and media, and attributed it to a suspected case of ‘British bias’.

“If he was English, or something, and finished sixth in a Sauber, he’d be in all the news tomorrow,” he continued. “What he does is exceptional.”

Bortoleto himself believes that while he has had a slow start to the season, he has started extracting the inherent pace from the Sauber C45.

“It’s my rookie season. It’s normal that you progress. I think, at least for me, I’ve been always like this,” he explained to media including Motorsport Week.

“If you check my junior series, I’ve been a guy that I always have these types of steps in my career, but just because I like to work, I like to study, I like to understand what I’ve been doing wrong and do a better job.”

Bortoleto relished latest battle with Alonso

Bortoleto had an eventful 70-lap Grand Prix last Sunday, as he tried to thwart Max Verstappen’s advances from eighth on the grid while also battling with Alonso in fifth.

“I gave my best, you know, I tried to keep him [Verstappen] behind, it’s not easy,” he admitted.

“He was flying at that moment, you know, putting a lot of pressure. 

“Fernando was slowing down a lot and honestly it was very nice to fight against him.”

Going into the summer break, Sauber currently sits seventh in the Constructors’ standings – one point behind Aston Martin and 19 points behind fifth-placed Williams.

And with how the last three race weekends have panned out for the team, with two points finishes for the 20-year-old and a career-first podium for Nico Hulkenberg at the British Grand Prix, Bortoleto is confident that Sauber has unlocked its potential and can realistically fight for the lead in the midfield.

“It’s a boost, it’s a lot of confidence, it’s a lot of things for me, for the team and, honestly, I’m looking forward to what we can achieve still this year,” he added.

“I mean I couldn’t be more satisfied than that because I think that’s the real result we can achieve.

“I think we really maximised the car we had today or even did better because I overtook Lance at the first lap and we know the Astons had a very good pace this weekend.”

READ MORE – How Jonathan Wheatley’s detail-driven approach is leading Sauber F1 revival

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Fernando Alonso revealed why it is “concerning” that Aston Martin was able to produce such a competitive performance at Formula 1‘s Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Silverstone-based squad sprang a surprise at the Hungaroring, with Alonso taking fifth place, followed closely by team-mate Lance Stroll, finishing seventh.

The AMR25’s performance was a total contrast to that of its previous outing at Spa, where both cars were down and out for the whole weekend.

Alonso explained that he, at one point, believed a podium was on the cards, but whilst it failed to transpire, still appeared delighted by the result.

“I think it couldn’t have gone any better than this, obviously,” he told media including Motorsport Week.

“Someone told me that the two McLarens were very close to each other at one point. That would have been even better, but it didn’t happen. 

“But yeah, apart from that, I think we maximised the performance of the car yesterday in quali and today in the race. 

“Not much more to do on our side. The biggest threat was the two stops, but then he had some traffic, and at the end we were a little bit more relaxed.”

The Spaniard also revealed that he did not spend too much time battling Mercedes’ George Russell before pitting during the race, opting to think of the long run.

“Yeah, before my pitstop I didn’t want to lose much time,” he explained. “I wanted him to overtake me on the main straight, not into Turn 2, because then we both lose a lot of time.

“So I said I will defend this straight and maybe in the next lap I let him go.”

Alonso speculates Aston Martin improvement

Alonso was shocked by how competitive the AMR25 was around the Hungaroring, saying after qualifying that “the layout, the characteristics of the circuit, is suiting our car, apparently.”

The team brought what was described as “more aggressive” design of its front wing flap, an addition to its front nose upgrade for Spa, which seemed to make no positive impact.

The 44-year-old repeated this astonishment, conveying his obvious happiness with the result, but also stated his concern as to why.

“It is a surprise, definitely,” he expressed. “It’s a nice surprise. The good thing is that we were competitive and we were fast.

“The concerning thing is that we don’t know why. In a way, we need this week at the factory to analyse exactly what are the differences between Spa and Hungary, what are the differences on the car as well, on the setup, on the aero devices that we were racing with. 

“The main thing for us was the front wing that was new this weekend.

“If that front wing gives us that much of performance, that’s very good news, but I think that has to be understood at the moment.”

READ MORE – Ex-Ferrari F1 technical chief begins work with Aston Martin

The post Why Fernando Alonso is ‘concerned’ by Aston Martin resurgence at F1 Hungarian GP appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Fernando Alonso believes the Hungaroring suits the AMR25 after both Aston Martin drivers came within a whisker of taking pole position for Formula 1‘s Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Silverstone-based squad had been showing positive one-lap pace through all three free practice sessions, which continued when it really mattered in qualifying.

Alonso and Lance Stroll became genuine challengers for pole, finishing fifth and sixth respectively, just over a tenth of a second behind the eventual pole time set by Charles Leclerc.

Alonso revealed to media including Motorsport Week that the tight and twisty profile of the circuit appeared to be a match made in heaven for the AMR25 package.

“We didn’t change the car massively since Spa seven days ago, no new parts for anybody at this race,” he said.

“Just the layout, the characteristics of the circuit, is suiting our car, apparently.

“It would be nice to understand this, why the car is operating in this sweet spot here because, if we understand that, we can use it in the next few races.”

Alonso was adamant that the car, which has not been a particularly competitive one across a number of races this year, is as good as it can be on every circuit, amid changes to its floor in previous races.

“I’m quite happy, and I feel the team is happy with all the upgrades we brought this year,” he said.

“The Imola floor, the Silverstone floor, and the front wing at Spa – all three of them, they were just delivering exactly what we were hoping for, and what we saw in the wind tunnel. So the correlation is very good.

“It’s true that for some circuits and some speeds, some floors can work in a different way, and some will be better in certain circuits, and some in another.

“I think we put the fastest car possible on track every weekend.”

Alonso added that he was aiming for himself and Stroll to try and finish where they will start, saying it would be a huge morale boost for the team ahead of the summer break, after what has been a tricky season for the team so far.

“I would like if we can finish in the same positions as we start, fifth and sixth will be lovely in terms of points for the team before the summer break – that will be the first target,” he said.

“If we can recover any places, it would be good. But I think we need to understand as well that there are some threats from behind, some fast cars – Max and Lewis are behind, so it’s not going to be easy.”

Stroll: ‘It’s been a while’ since Aston Martin car felt this good

Stroll corroborated Alonso’s theory that the circuit was a good fit for the car, again saying it was the primary reason for the performance, and not the aforementioned floor changes.

“Yeah, more than the floors and stuff, I think it’s the track, it really suits our car,” he told media including Motorsport Week.

“I think when we put on the downforce and the conditions are cool and there’s a lot of wind, we’re kind of where we need to be.

“For the performance of the car, all weekend it’s been there, it’s been the windows since the first lap of Q1. 

“We’ve been kind of tough, 6-7 just most of the weekend. It’s just really nice to drive it.”

When asked when the car felt this good to drive, Stroll quipped: “It’s been a while.”

READ MORE – Max Verstappen at a loss as ‘nothing works’ for Red Bull in F1 Hungarian GP qualifying

The post How Aston Martin came close to shock F1 Hungarian GP pole appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Fernando Alonso opened up about the muscle injury in his lower back after FP2 ahead of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, revealing how he is managing discomfort to stay competitive.

Despite the injury, the Aston Martin driver reported no pain while driving and remains optimistic about getting through the weekend, with the summer break providing some much-needed recovery time.

Alonso and the team decided it was best for him to sit out FP1 to better manage the number of laps he would need to complete during the Hungarian GP weekend.

Felipe Drugovich stepped in to replace the Spaniard for the session, as Alonso returned for FP2, finishing an impressive fifth – just behind team-mate Lance Stroll in fourth – a strong showing for Aston Martin.

After FP2, the 44-year-old spoke about the injury he’s managing in Budapest.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s the same as yesterday,” he said when asked about his back. “It’s going to be like this the whole weekend.

“I have a small injury on my muscle at the back, on the lumbar area. And yeah, I need some rest, but the summer break is coming.

“So, yeah, it’s another two days of managing the comfort on the seat. We found different solutions yesterday with air pads and other things that they are working fine. Today I had no pain in FP2. So that’s positive.”

When asked whether this type of injury is common among drivers, Alonso explained how it’s a frequent issue in the sport, but manageable with the right care.

“Yeah, you always have small pain and discomfort here and there,” he added. “The thing is that we did the MRI last week just to check properly.

“And, yeah, we saw a small, small injury on the muscle. So, yeah, obviously, if you are a normal person, you will sit a little bit for two weeks.

“But, yeah, I think it is manageable. I don’t have pain in the car, which is the most important thing.”

READ MORE – Fernando Alonso to make F1 Hungarian GP return after FP1 absence

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Fernando Alonso will take part in FP2 for Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix after sitting out FP1 on medical grounds.

The Spaniard skipped the first session at the Hungaroring to limit time in the AMR25 due to a muscular issue in his bac, with reserve driver Felipe Drugovich taking his place.

However, the two-time World Champion has, according to the Silverstone-based squad, received further treatment and will be back in the car for FP2.

Aston’s Trackside Officer Mike Krack said previously that he was confident of Alonso’s swift return, saying that “plan is to have Fernando in the car from FP2 onwards.”

The Brazilian, who recently completed a successful Formula E cameo for Mahindra Racing, was 16 out of the 20 runners, clocking a personal best time of 1:17.629s.

Alonso’s team-mate Lance Stroll was 10th fastest, his 1:16.984s being within a tenth of first-placed Lando Norris.

The team has brought two new updates to the race weekend, with a new, “more aggressive” front wing flap, which is described in the notes as “more aggressive,” supposedly to increase “the total amount of load the wing can generate to be used with the higher downforce rear wing that will be used at this event.”

READ MORE – Red Bull headlines minimal upgrades list at F1 Hungarian GP

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