Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso have had to make a crucial decision that could be decisive for the next year, 2026. Such is the confidence of the English team after seeing the progress made in the last three months that they are willing to sacrifice certain benefits they could obtain for next season in order for Fernando Alonso to continue climbing in the current F1 championship. It was a decision that was on the table, but it was never a real option for anyone, as they believe that the development of the AMR26 is not compromised, something that the Asturian driver himself has asked for to ensure that this does not happen.
Aston Martin and the FIA regulations
The last Barcelona Grand Prix brought a big surprise, not only with Fernando Alonso and his first points, but also with Hulkenberg, who managed to finish the race in a surprising fifth position, earning important points for himself and for the team, which overtook Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Championship.
This created a small dilemma in the Silverstone factory offices. The FIA is about to allocate wind tunnel hours among the teams on the grid. The lower you are in the Constructors’ Championship, the more wind tunnel hours you get. The last two teams in the standings get the most hours, with the aim of closing the gap between the teams. And the deadline set by the FIA for allocating these wind tunnel hours is Monday, June 30, one day after the Austrian F1 Grand Prix. On that day, depending on the standings, the hours will be allocated.
Aston Martin confident in its progress
There were doubts about what Aston Martin would do in Canada. It had to decide whether to sacrifice one of the most favorable circuits for the AMR25 or continue to show the potential the car has gained in recent months. The team opted for the second option and competed, with Fernando Alonso having his best weekend of the season so far, qualifying sixth on Saturday and finishing seventh on Sunday, the best result he could have achieved and the best driver in the midfield.
Aston Martin overtakes Sauber in the Constructors’ Championship, which, with one race to go before the FIA deadline, means it loses valuable wind tunnel time for the development of the AMR26.
Sauber prepares for battle
But everything is still up for grabs for the Austrian Grand Prix. Aston Martin overtook Sauber because Fernando Alonso finished just one place ahead of Hulkenberg. A month ago, the two teams were fighting not to be the worst team on the grid, but now it seems they are fighting at the top of the midfield. The German driver finished in eighth position, evidence that the team, like Aston Martin, has also taken a step forward with improvements to its car, with two consecutive races in the points against all odds. And with both teams looking set to continue competing, everything is still to play for at the Silverstone Grand Prix.
But it is difficult to see any changes, at least under normal race conditions. For Aston Martin to lose a place at Silverstone, Hulkenberg would have to finish at least ninth and Alonso would have to fail to score, while if the Spaniard finishes tenth or ninth, Hulkenberg would have to be eighth, provided his teammates do not score. The difference between the teams is two points, and two points are a lot for these teams. In the event of a tie on points, Sauber would overtake Aston Martin for having had the best position in a race (Hulkenberg’s fifth place in Barcelona).
What is clear is that Aston Martin has given up more wind tunnel hours, it is evident that Fernando Alonso overtook the German in the final laps of the race, he could have stayed behind him and achieved a great eighth place, but he showed the great confidence that now exists in the team.