Misfortune has denied Fernando Alonso points on multiple occasions this year, including last weekend’s Imola GP.
However, unlike previous events where Aston Martin have scored points (Australia, China), the British team are no longer reliant on DNFs from front-runners to score points.
The AMR25 is now capable of reaching the top 10 on merit, as demonstrated in qualifying at Monaco.
Alonso managed P7 in Q3, at a circuit which – at least on paper – would have been a weakness for Aston before their newest package.
Assuming that Aston Martin can navigate the next technical directive, they can be competitive in what remains of 2025.
Aston Martin upgrades deliver sizable step
Aston Martin’s difficulties with upgrades have been well documented, perhaps more than any team in recent history.
Prior to last weekend, the AMR25 was often setting slower qualifying times than its predecessor – the AMR24.
Although teams have spoken extensively about the incoming development ‘ceiling’ of these regulations, Aston Martin were not only stagnating, but even regressing.
This trend, for the first time since early 2023, began to change after the upgrades introduced to the car.
Team principal Andy Cowell confirmed that Aston Martin’s upgrades have delivered immediate performance.
Cowell has refused to detail how many tenths the package was worth, but needless to say the improvement is significant.
Adrian Newey, who began work at the factory in March, has spoken in glowing terms about the team’s new wind tunnel.
At the same time, Newey warns that their simulator is not up to scratch – and improving its correlation will be a journey that could take a few seasons.
Regardless, Aston have more updates planned for the upcoming weeks, including the British GP.
Should these modifications build on their current baseline, they could feasibly compete with Williams for P5 in the constructors standings.
Upgrades always require a few races to optimise, in terms of set-up and operating window, so Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will be optimistic about making further progress.
Alonso reacts to Monaco qualifying
Alonso made Q3 for a second consecutive weekend, a clear sign of progress for the AMR25.
Teammate Lance Stroll was unlucky to be eliminated in Q1, with traffic preventing him from improving on his final lap.
Still, as seen with the Canadian’s qualifying in Imola, he is also seeing the benefits of Aston Martin’s new package.
Returning to Alonso, the Double World Champion reflected on one of his best sessions of 2025:
“I’m very happy with P7 in Qualifying and I think we did the best job possible.
“It’s such a high adrenaline circuit here and you have to take a huge amount of risk around the lap.
“But this is what makes it the best Saturday of the year. It’s extremely rewarding as a driver.
“In a normal Monaco, P7 in Qualifying would normally mean the same result in the race, but with the new rules it creates different strategies and opportunities for everyone.
“Let’s see what happens and if we can be on the right side of the luck tomorrow.”
Main photo: Zak Mauger/LAT Images
