Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso are eagerly awaiting this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, a race marked in red on the calendars of all those involved in the World Championship. Not only are there rule changes, but the AMR25 will also feature improvements that are expected to be an important step forward for the rest of the season.
F1 arrives in Barcelona with changes
This weekend, the F1 regulations are changing, and it will affect all teams on the F1 grid. The FIA is introducing changes to the regulations regarding the front wing. Until now, it could be flexible, but starting this Friday, with the beginning of free practice, all teams must mount a rigid nose, which will significantly affect the aerodynamics of the cars.
This will mean changes on the grid, but we will have to wait until the track to see what impact it will have on each of the teams. Changes are expected, some will win and others will lose, and one of the favorites to step up is Aston Martin.
The latest from Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso has reason to be optimistic. At the Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago, Aston Martin introduced the first updates to the AMR25, and they worked, after several years in which the updates they introduced were a step backwards for the car. They were the first to be completed with the new wind tunnel, but not from the outset.
However, for this weekend, the new parts will be 100% manufactured using Aston Martin’s new technology and, more importantly, supervised by Adrian Newey. Aston Martin was one of the teams most affected by the flexible wing, and everything indicates that rigidity could give them an advantage, in addition to the confidence that comes from being manufactured with the new wind tunnel.
But that won’t be the only improvement, as aerodynamic parts are being updated and new suspension is being installed. If the improvements in Imola are confirmed and the ones they have now also represent another step forward, we could be talking about a significant improvement for Aston Martin, especially on a grid that is currently separated by just a few tenths from first to last.
Fernando Alonso’s position in the Spanish Grand Prix
Given the performance at Imola, where both Aston Martins made it into Q3, with Aston Martin’s new updates, and pending the performance of the other teams, Fernando Alonso could be fighting for a place between 8th and 7th. In the best-case scenario, we could be talking about Fernando Alonso in the top 5 of the standings.
In the race, given the driver’s poor results and bad luck, anything can happen, but if everything works perfectly, with an incident-free race, he could be fighting for a place in the top 5 on the grid. The scenario with incidents could be a lottery, and some might dare to dream of something more, but for now, it does not seem feasible.
Aston Martin is eagerly awaiting Saturday, when it will be possible to measure the real impact of the new updates, a key moment for the team as it will set the course for 2026. If the updates are positive, it will reaffirm that the team has finally found the way to fight for next year’s goals. If there are no improvements, everything done so far will have to be reevaluated, and there is less and less room for error if they want to be ready in time.