Fernando Alonso is no stranger to misfortune and poor reliability, but even he will be frustrated at the number of points that have slipped through his finger.
The Spaniard was comfortably in the top 7 in Monaco, benefitting from a strong qualifying and race pace in the AMR25.
His race was primed to be against VCARB’s Isack Hadjar, who was pursuing an aggressive strategy – largely enabled by teammate Liam Lawson.
However, Alonso encountered an engine problem after his first stop, which continued to worsen until his engine gave out.
In a season where Aston Martin have already lost so many chances, last weekend was yet another blow.
Alonso explains Monaco engine failure
As it stands, Fernando Alonso is the only driver with a 100% winning record against their teammate in qualifying this season.
You wouldn’t know this by looking at the standings, though, with Alonso yet to register a single point in 2025.
Just in the last two Grand Prix, poor strategy in Imola and an engine failure in Monte Carlo have cost the 43-year-old significant points.
This will be frustrating for Alonso who, despite enjoying a more competitive car since the upgrades two weeks ago, has not had luck on his side.
Speaking post-race, he detailed the problems his car encountered:
“I had a problem with the engine from lap 15.
“I did not had the electric part of the car, and it was like Danny Ric (Ricciardo) in 2017.
“So I only had 160 horsepower, but that is not crucial in Monaco and we could keep the pace.
“I wanted to keep going, but it was not possible. The race had been good, the qualifying very good – and we missed an opportunity.
“When you have no power, everything goes against you. But it was not bad luck, it is not something that came from the sky and hit us.
“The engine was not prepared, and we could not finish. We need to investigate it so it doesn’t happen again.”
Aston Martin have a chance to bounce back
Until recently, it was Aston Martin’s poor development that was at the heart of most criticisms towards the team.
Increasingly, however, it is operational errors that are becoming the British team’s limiting factor.
Unlike in the first rounds of the year, Aston can at least console themselves with the more competitive car at their disposal.
Assuming the AMR25 does not encounter any banana skins, top 10 appearances should be within reach for Alonso and Stroll moving forward.
There are also more upgrades planned later this year, including their home race in Silverstone.
With Adrian Newey becoming more and more embedded in the team, Aston Martin are working to streamline their operations.
The effectiveness of their latest upgrades are a positive sign about their off-track progress.
Should they take another step forward with their next package, Alonso could find himself fighting for even higher positions.
However, irrespective of the new components they bring to the AMR25, they must improve operationally.
If they do not, then other more efficient midfield teams – like Haas and Williams – will continue to benefit from their mistakes.
Main photo: Zak Mauger/LAT Images (via Aston Martin media gallery)
