Fernando Alonso described himself as the world’s “unluckiest driver” as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix fell away from Aston Martin.

Alonso ran fifth in the opening stages before a mid-race Virtual Safety Car cruelled his chances and he ultimately slipped to 11th.

Timing cost Fernando Alonso first F1 2025 points in Imola GP

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher.

Alonso had started fifth after a strong showing in qualifying, and latched onto the back of George Russell and Lando Norris in the early stages in Imola.

He was then one of the first to pit when Aston Martin called him in on Lap 12, after which he ran only 14th.

Though he rose back to eighth as those ahead pitted under the Virtual Safety Car, Alonso slipped back to 13th before taking his second stop on Lap 46 under the full Safety Car.

He rallied in the final laps, climbing three places but ultimately fell one spot shy of the points.

“The car was very strong today,” Alonso told the media, including PlanetF1.com.

“We started strong and then I could follow Norris and Russell.

“Actually, Russell was a little bit slower than both of us, so I have to pinch myself that I was in the front part of the field and that competitive.

“Then we did a stop. We were okay, I think, to secure P6/7 today with both cards, and then the Virtual Safety Car obviously gave the opportunity to stop for free for the people that didn’t at that point.

“They left the pits just in front of us, already with newer tyres, and the race was over.”

Buried in the pack on an older tyre, Alonso didn’t have the pace to carve through the field and into the points.

While the full Safety Car was called later in the race when Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes ground to a halt exiting Tosa, by that stage the damage had been done.

“I was out of the points so it’s difficult to really make decisions at that time,” Alonso said of the call not to box under the Virtual Safety Car.

“Even at the end, I think the car was super strong because in nine laps, I over took three cars; Nico [Hulkenberg], [Liam] Lawson, [Pierre] Gasly.

“Our normal midfield group, they were very slow compared to us today, which is a very good sign for us, but with no points.”

Such was Alonso’s incredulity that he described himself over the radio as the “unluckiest driver in the **** world” over the team radio.

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Seven races into the F1 2025 season and Alonso remains one of four drivers on the grid yet to score points.

It’s a grating fact as, had the race played out differently, both Aston Martins could have been in the top 10.

Instead, Alonso was the better placed of the two in 11th while Lance Stroll saw the flag 15th.

“I think in 100 scenarios of the race, 99 were okay for us to score strong points for the team today.

“One was not, and it did happen.

“Let’s hope for other races that maybe we don’t deserve the points and we do score because of luck.

“Today, I think it’s a bit unfair.”

Aston Martin sits seventh in the Constructors’ Championship following the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on 14 points.

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