‘We have some hope’ – How Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin Seized Their Opportunity in Sepang

Fernando Alonso Navigates Chaos and Strategy Gamble at Sepang

Despite starting the Grand Prix from 12th on the grid, Fernando Alonso harbored significant doubts about his chances of securing points heading into Sunday’s race. The Spanish driver anticipated being compromised on the straights during the opening laps, fearing his Aston Martin would lack the outright pace needed to recover lost ground. However, rain over the Sepang circuit disrupted expectations, setting the stage for an unpredictable contest where Alonso fought back to cross the finish line in eighth place.

The afternoon began in unconventional fashion when multiple cars encountered issues on the initial formation lap, resulting in a delayed start and a grid reset. Alonso humorously questioned the handling of the disruption in light of Aston Martin’s difficult 2026 campaign, noting that “I think I had 50 per cent DNFs this year. They never stopped the race for us. Yeah, that was quite strange!”

The Slick Tyre Miscalculation and Safety Car Recovery

When the event officially got underway, the track surface presented damp yet drying conditions. Aston Martin opted to start on medium slick tyres—a decision also taken by competitors including McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine, Audi, Cadillac, and one Haas car. Explaining the logic behind the call, Alonso said, “The rain was very much appreciated in terms of opportunities for us,” adding: “And we even started with slicks because we thought that the rain was not anymore there. It took quite long to restart the race, but I’m sure there is an explanation.”

The slick compound proved to be the wrong choice in the opening exchanges. While Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll made an early stop to switch to intermediate tyres, Alonso remained on the circuit alongside other slick runners, gambling that an eventual Safety Car would minimize the time lost during a pit stop. Even while struggling for grip on the slippery surface, Alonso managed to pass former McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton. The tactical gamble paid off when the Safety Car was deployed, allowing Alonso to change tyres and latch onto the back of the pack.

Fighting Through the Midfield Pack

Following the restart, Alonso mounted a steady charge through the field. He moved into the top ten by overtaking Arvid Lindblad just moments before a Virtual Safety Car period escalated into a full Safety Car. Further up the road, a retirement for George Russell and an incident involving Lando Norris elevated Alonso to eighth place. The two-time World Champion held off Norris through the final restart and maintained his position until the chequered flag.

Evaluating the improved showing, Alonso remarked: “I think it is the track,” adding, “I think we’ve been more competitive this weekend in general, both cars in Q2, and today fighting in the midfield territory. So yeah, overall it was a better weekend. Let’s see if we can keep up this pace, especially in Singapore, where we have some hopes next weekend.

“And then there are some other weeks that we are very uncompetitive, and we have to accept it. The weekends that we can score points, the important thing is to execute well the race. Today, obviously, we started with a slick, so we put ourselves in some difficulties there – but at the end it was it was okay. After the Safety Car, we had a new race coming.”

Aston Martin Pit Wall Evaluates the Performance

Aston Martin’s Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack was candid in his assessment of the team’s opening tyre choice, stating: “I think we did some good decisions, but we did also some that were less good, and this we need to review clearly,” and explaining, “We then bailed out [of the slicks] with Lance, with Fernando we continued. We were just in the debrief, and he said it didn’t feel that bad until the intermediate runners came and just flew by.

“But clearly that’s something we need to go through. Yes it was hot, and yes it was drying, but we saw that 50 per cent of the field did what we did, but 50 per cent did not get it right. So that’s something we need to clearly have a look at.”

Krack credited the subsequent neutralization of the race for bringing them back into contention: “I think we were fortunate with the Safety Car to close up again, and then it started more going into a normal race. I think it was quite intense, quite interesting. A lot happened.

“A good end at the end of the day, with a lot of incidents that were probably masking here and there. But I said it this morning, opportunities, if they come, we don’t have the pace to finish in the points on a regular basis yet. So we need to grab opportunity, and I think that is what we did today.”

Why This Matters

Aston Martin’s P8 finish provides critical points and relief following a sequence of uncompetitive outings earlier in the season. Addressing the contrast in recent performances, Mike Krack noted: “I think, let’s not forget, three weeks ago we were in Madrid, one week ago we were in Baku, and we were just nowhere,” urging caution: “I think we need to keep our feet on the ground here, analyse really why we were more competitive here, and look ahead and see how we can benefit more from that.

“To be honest for the team it’s great, because we have been really through tough times, and the few positive moments that you get you have to – I’m not saying celebrate like a World Championship party – but I think you need to take a breath and acknowledge when good results come your way, because we have not been fortunate enough to have many.” The team now shifts its focus to the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix, where Fernando Alonso hopes track characteristics will once again offer an opening for points.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Fernando Alonso start the race on slick tyres?

Aston Martin believed the rain had cleared from the Sepang track and anticipated that the surface would rapidly dry out in the heat. Approximately half of the grid made the same strategic choice, though it initially proved to be slower than starting on intermediate wet tyres.

How did Alonso recover from the early strategy setback?

Unlike teammate Lance Stroll, who pitted early for intermediates, Alonso stayed on circuit with his slick tyres until an opportune Safety Car period allowed for an efficient pit stop that grouped the field together. He then capitalized on race restarts, passed Arvid Lindblad, and benefited from issues affecting George Russell and Lando Norris to seal P8.

Where does Aston Martin race next?

The team heads directly to the Singapore Grand Prix, a venue where Fernando Alonso believes the AMR package may have another genuine opportunity to contend in the midfield points positions.