‘Suggestions in the paddock’ say 22-pole F1 driver is ‘not pleased’ with his 2025 car

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The 2025 F1 season is right around the corner with the Australian Grand Prix kicking off the action in two weeks time.

Pre-season testing in Bahrain gave the 10 teams an indication of where they and their rivals are with extensive programmes and simulations at the Sakhir International Circuit.

The teams displayed solid reliability with very few mechanical issues over the three days. A circuit power cut, a bus making its way onto the infield and shattered glass on the track were some bizarre stoppages that haltered an otherwise smooth test.

Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull will be looking to take the fight to McLaren in 2025 after they won the constructors’ title in 2024. Meanwhile, Aston Martin will want to find the performance they had in 2023 after regressing last year.

The Silverstone-based outfit finished fifth in the standings in 2024 but were 374 points behind Mercedes in fourth. Points finishes were infrequent as Aston Martin proved to have one of, if not the slowest car on the grid come the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

And after pre-season testing, it does not appear things have improved – with star driver Fernando Alonso not impressed with the AMR25.

‘Suggestions in the paddock’ say Fernando Alonso is ‘not pleased’ with his Aston Martin 2025 car

Gary Anderson is not excited by the AMR25 because it does not possess many differences from last year’s machine. Alonso managed a best finish of fifth in Jeddah while teammate Lance Stroll scored points six times all season.

Team owner Lawrence Stroll did not seem positive after pre-season testing as he shook his head at Ted Kravitz when he asked if the car looked better. According to journalist Ben Anderson, Alonso feels the same way as the F1 paddock suggests he is ‘not pleased’.

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“Aston Martin has a lot to prove this year and has supposedly changed a lot on its car in a bid to solve the problems that caused it to slump last season,” said Anderson via The Race YouTube channel.

“Though it finished fifth in the 2024 constructors’ championship – a perfectly respectable result – its performance trajectory was poor for the second year running.

“By the end, it had only the eighth or ninth fastest car and sometimes it was outright slowest. It’s very concerning then that Fernando Alonso indicated Aston Martin is where it was in Abu Dhabi at the end of last season.

“As a reminder, that was behind several midfield teams and struggling to score points. Aston Martin wanted to make this car more benign and give the drivers confidence, and while it looked like that’s been achieved to a degree, the car still fundamentally lacks pace.

“Making the car better to drive is ultimately no good if its not fast enough and there were suggestions in the paddock that Alonso is not pleased.

“And if he’s saying what he said to us, imagine what he’s saying behind the scenes.”

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Ivan Capelli says Alonso disappointed him the most in testing in Bahrain. He thinks the 22-pole driver could be in ‘quite some trouble’ for the Australian Grand Prix.

Alex Brundle said Stroll was ‘behind the car’ in Bahrain as he looked as though he was physically struggling in the cockpit. The Canadian’s best lap time was two seconds off the pace.

Aston Martin are pinning their hopes on the new regulations in 2026 to make a step forward. The team will enter a partnership with Honda as their engine supplier, while Adrian Newey will be firmly in his post designing their new challenger.

The Silverstone-based outfit have invested heavily behind the scenes to create a championship-winning environment. But if they cannot improve their fortunes on the track, friction could arise with Alonso – who already seems dissatisfied with the current state of Aston Martin.