Formula 1: Fernando Alonso optimistic about Aston Martin's potential
What's the story
Fernando Alonso, the veteran Formula 1 driver, has expressed optimism about the potential of his Aston Martin car. This comes after a disappointing qualifying session at the Australian Grand Prix where he finished 17th. Despite being 2.5 seconds off the pace in the first part of qualifying, Alonso believes there is "huge potential" in his car.
Improvement
Alonso credits team for improving car
Alonso's time was 2.5 seconds slower than the front-runners in the first part of qualifying, but he managed to cut that gap in half in qualifying compared with Friday practice in Melbourne. The Spanish driver credited this improvement to a series of laps completed by his team. "And even if the power-unit is the same as yesterday, we gained like two seconds today, just because we were on track and we were optimizing a little bit things on the chassis and things like that," he told reporters.
Consistency
More laps, more consistency needed: Alonso
Alonso stressed on the need for more laps and consistency to unlock the full potential of his Aston Martin car. He said, "So, there is for sure a huge potential on the car, we just need more laps, we just need more consistency." The Spanish driver also talked about feeling a bit fragile at the moment but was hopeful about improvements in future races.
Strategy
Stroll's absence affects Aston Martin
Alonso's teammate Lance Stroll couldn't participate at Albert Park due to engine issues and will start from the back. Despite these challenges, Alonso remains hopeful about igniting some motivation within the team. He said, "When you go on track and you are in the mix with a few cars, it's a little bit better than being dead last."
Challenges
Alonso reveals hybrid system challenges for Aston Martin
Alonso admitted that Aston Martin is facing a tough situation with their hybrid system. The team has only two batteries left and none at the Honda factory, forcing them to adopt a cautious race strategy. He said, "We are short on parts, there is no secrets on that." Despite these challenges, Alonso is hopeful about completing as many laps as possible in the next race in China.
Pole
Mercedes drive George Russell takes Melbourne pole
George Russell of Mercedes took the pole position after his side dominated the first qualifying session of the Formula 1 2026 season at the Australian Grand Prix. The Briton led team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.363 seconds. He was also 0.785secs clear of Isack Hadjar in third place. Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen crashed on his first lap. Meanwhile, Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was the 4th-fastest.