Fernando Alonso complains of lack of pace as Aston Martin’s struggles continue

Fernando Alonso complained of a lack of pace in the Aston Martin after another disappointing finish this season. He is yet to score any points this year as the team struggles to find enough competitiveness in the car to battle their rivals.

Aston Martin has been on a downward spiral since the end of the 2023 season. The team was extremely competitive within the top five shortly after the Spaniard joined, but it struggled to find pace for podium finishes last year, and the 2025 season has been worse. Alonso retired from the opening two races and finished out of points in the other two.

"We didn't have the pace all weekend and especially tonight. I was extending my stint on the medium tyres, but then the Safety Car balanced everything again and we didn't really benefit from it," Fernando Alonso said after the race in Bahrain (via F1).

However, he expects a better result in Jeddah, adding:

"We expected it to be a difficult track for us and we need to try improve the car for future races. It's a different challenge in Jeddah, so let's see if we can be any better next week."

Meanwhile, his teammate, Lance Stroll, pulled out a few points in the two races where Fernando Alonso retired. Aston Martin is currently seventh in the standings with 10 points.

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Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll to possibly drive underperforming cars this season

Aston Martin signed F1's 'aero wizard' Adrian Newey after he announced his exit from Red Bull Racing last year. His addition to the crew was said ot be a major upgrade, considering his extreme car designs with peak aerodynamic efficiency. However, recent reports claim that he is not involved in the development of the team's 2025 car.

F1 is set to experience a major regulation change next year, and most teams have diverted their focus on designing the 2026 cars with upgraded engines and aerodynamics. Reports state that Newey is currently working on the future car for the Silverstone-based team and will not be focusing on this year's car.

This could mean that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will be left to drive an underperforming car for the rest of the season if they fail to bring a major upgrade package in the upcoming races. The team has also signed a deal with Honda as its engine supplier beginning in the 2026 season. Aston Martin would then be making their own gearboxes as well.

These huge changes could impact the team positively if Honda's engine remains as reliable and competitive as it is currently for Red Bull Racing. Moreover, considering Adrian Newey's excellence, they could have a kickstart to the 2026 season.