Adrian Newey said Aston Martin’s new car showed "promising results" in its first on-track session at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso set the 13th fastest time in the session, 2.475 seconds off the pace set by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while team-mate Lance Stroll suffered a rear suspension failure.
Alonso’s lap represented a significant step forward from the roughly four-second deficit that has generally separated Aston Martin from the front this season. The team’s revamped package is the latest stage of a planned upgrade programme, with more updates due at Monza and Baku.
"Very early days in terms of understanding the new package. Provisional results are promising.
"We will have some more steps in Monza and Baku, so it is the first part of our planned upgrade. Very short on parts so being careful with it and trying to learn all about it."
Aston Martin engine partner Honda will also bring an upgraded power unit to the next race, the Dutch Grand Prix, after Formula 1’s four-week summer break. The car is virtually new, with only the front suspension, engine and gearbox carried over from the last race in Belgium a week ago.
Even the chassis has been changed, with a significant amount of weight removed from it, which required a full re-homologation process from the governing FIA.
Stroll’s left rear suspension appeared to fail as he rounded Turn Three with about 20 minutes remaining in the session.
"Everybody is feverishly trying to understand what went wrong and it is only once we have an understanding that we can comment on what we do next.
"The area involved is not what has been changed, so in that sense it was very unexpected."
Newey said that after the session in a news conference. Alonso was sent back out straight away as soon as the session restarted.
Leclerc was 0.484 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton third ahead of the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar. Leclerc’s session ended early when his car suffered a failure and he ground to a halt in the pit lane before reaching the Ferrari garage.
Mercedes’ George Russell was fifth fastest, ahead of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto. Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti, driving the car of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, was seventh.
Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top 10. Charles Leclerc has finished first and then second at the past two grands prix, at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.
How did Aston Martin’s upgrade perform?
The upgrade showed encouraging signs in its first run, even though the team is still at an early stage of understanding the package. Alonso’s 13th place and 2.475-second gap to Leclerc were both better than Aston Martin’s usual pace this season.
The car’s changes are extensive, with the chassis altered as part of the weight-saving work and re-homologated by the FIA. Only the front suspension, engine and gearbox remained unchanged from Belgium.
What happened to Stroll and Leclerc?
Stroll’s Aston Martin suffered a left rear suspension failure at Turn Three with around 20 minutes left in the session, prompting an immediate response from the team. Newey said the affected area was not among the parts changed on the car, making the problem unexpected.
Leclerc also ended his session early after a separate failure left his Ferrari stranded in the pit lane before he could reach the garage. Despite that, he still topped the times ahead of Verstappen, Hamilton and Hadjar.
What did the rest of the field look like?
Russell finished fifth for Mercedes, with Bortoleto sixth. Vesti, in Antonelli’s car, took seventh, while Hulkenberg, Lindblad and Lawson completed the top 10.
What happens next for Aston Martin?
The team expects further upgrade steps at Monza and Baku, while Honda will introduce an upgraded power unit at the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break. Newey said Aston Martin is short on parts and must be careful with the new package while it gathers more data.
Key Facts
- Fernando Alonso was 13th fastest in first practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, 2.475 seconds behind Charles Leclerc.
- Lance Stroll suffered a rear suspension failure, with the left rear suspension appearing to break at Turn Three.
- Aston Martin’s car is described as virtually new, with only the front suspension, engine and gearbox unchanged from Belgium.
- Adrian Newey said the results were "promising" and that more steps are planned at Monza and Baku.
- Honda will bring an upgraded power unit to the Dutch Grand Prix after Formula 1’s four-week summer break.
