Alonso last after Aston Martin qualifying problems at Zandvoort

Alonso’s difficult sprint qualifying

Fernando Alonso will start last on the grid for the sprint race at Zandvoort after a troubled qualifying session exposed several issues with Aston Martin’s upgraded package.

The result came after what Alonso described as a problem with “a little bit of everything”. The engine’s driveability made braking difficult, while an apparent issue with the straight-line mode meant he could not open the rear wing. Together, those problems compromised the lap and left the Aston Martin difficult to control.

Engine behaviour compromises Alonso’s lap

The difficulty was not limited to a single corner or system. The braking issue affected the car’s balance and confidence, while the rear-wing problem removed another important qualifying tool. With both complications present, Alonso was unable to extract the performance suggested by his practice result.

The setback comes as Aston Martin evaluates its latest developments at a Zandvoort upgrades weekend where track time is especially limited by the Sprint format.

Alonso remains encouraged by the upgrade

Despite starting at the back, Alonso said practice had felt “more or less okay” and that he had sensed a step forward. His assessment was that the package remained at an early stage, with the controls and related systems still “a little bit immature”.

That leaves the sprint race as both a competitive challenge and another opportunity to understand the upgraded car. Alonso noted that a conventional weekend would provide three practice sessions to refine the package, whereas the Sprint format requires the team to learn from qualifying and the race itself.

“We’ll try to understand also a few things,” he said, maintaining a positive outlook despite one of Aston Martin’s most difficult sessions of the weekend so far.