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Aston Martin has made the biggest technical statement of the Hungarian weekend, introducing a package that effectively transforms its Formula 1 car rather than adding incremental updates across several grands prix.
Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll receive a new chassis and a new aerodynamic concept. Team principal Mike Krack has also indicated that the team is pursuing a different rake philosophy this weekend. The gearbox and power unit remain unchanged, while Honda’s first ADUO upgrade is scheduled for Zandvoort.
The scale of the package reflects the pressure surrounding Aston Martin. The team needs to demonstrate meaningful progress to owner Lawrence Stroll, but the sharper personal focus is on Alonso, who endured a difficult first half of the season. As outlined in Alonso’s latest position on Aston Martin’s upgrade and his 2027 future, the upgrade is important to the team’s direction, but it is not the sole factor in his decision-making.
Alonso has made clear that his future depends more on the regulations than on Aston Martin’s immediate competitiveness. Max Verstappen, who has also criticised the current rules, said he fully understood that stance.
“It is not what you want,” Verstappen said in Hungary. “Of course, Fernando is 44, so it’s probably a bit easier for him to say ‘I quit’, because he has basically already done his career.”
Verstappen added that he would like to see Alonso race until he is 60, although he does not consider that realistic in Formula 1. His own position, he explained, is different: at 28, he still loves racing and remains prepared to deal with a championship environment he does not enjoy.
“I’m just trying to deal with what we have, even though what we have at the moment is not what I like,” he said.
The immediate question is whether the revised Aston Martin can move Alonso away from the back of the field. Verstappen argued that the current results are a poor measure of Alonso’s ability, insisting the two-time world champion does not deserve to be running in 21st place and should be a top-five driver at minimum.
Yet the car makes Alonso’s outright speed difficult to judge. Stroll is the only meaningful internal reference, and Alonso currently leads their qualifying head-to-head 8-2. That record underlines his performance, while also highlighting the significance of the new package: Aston Martin must now show that its previous deficit was rooted in the car rather than its driver.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.