Fernando Alonso heads into this week’s Bahrain Grand Prix still without a point this season, with Aston Martin also having their worst start since the 2022 F1 campaign.
Not since 2017 has Alonso endured a start to any Formula 1 season as bad as this term with the 43-year-old also only penning his first finish this campaign at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Spaniard crashed out in Australia whilst in P9 and retired in China due to a brake failure.
Points were ultimately just out of Alonso’s reach at Suzuka as the two-time F1 champion had to settle for 11th place. Haas racer Oliver Bearman took the finish line a mere 2.804 seconds ahead of Alonso, who only gained from 12th on the grid with a first-lap pass on Pierre Gasly.
Aston Martin even effectively ran as a one-car team with Alonso after Lance Stroll qualified last for the Japanese GP. The 26-year-old – who has all 10 of Aston Martin’s points in 2025 – also finished in 20th and as the only driver to be lapped at Suzuka after a two-stop strategy.
Fernando Alonso thinks Aston Martin have ‘confirmation’ their car is the most ‘fragile’ to wind
The Silverstone squad could be set for another disappointing race this weekend in Sakhir, as well, as Alonso expects a ‘difficult’ Bahrain GP for Aston Martin. Both of their drivers scored points in last year’s Bahrain GP with Alonso and Stroll in P9 and P10 yet a repeat is doubtful.
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Aston Martin’s hopes for points in this season’s Bahrain GP could also hinge on the wind as Alonso claims the Japanese GP offered the team ‘confirmation’ that the AMR25 is far more susceptible to the conditions than any rival F1 team’s car, especially through Suzuka’s Esses.
Alonso noted, via quotes by Motorsport.com: “We didn’t change the set-up too much. So, yes, I think the wind – especially the wind in the first sector – affected us much more than our rivals. That’s our conclusion.
“So, yes. Maybe it’s nothing too new, but we know the car is a bit fragile in terms of wind conditions and so on. But, yes, maybe the Suzuka weekend was a confirmation.”
Lance Stroll was caught out by a 10mph gust of wind in qualifying in Japan
Canadian billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll is ‘breathing fire’ at Aston Martin’s factory amid their poor start to the 2025 F1 season. So, he will not be thrilled to hear Alonso claim Aston Martin’s car is far more ‘fragile’ in high winds than any of the other nine team’s challengers.
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But the proof was on the table to a degree at Suzuka as Stroll qualified last and 0.394s from the next-slowest driver in Q1, Alpine rookie Jack Doohan. The Montreal native did not set a truly competitive time after being caught out by the gust of a tailwind as he took the Esses.
Stroll found a gust of around 16-17km/h (9-10mph) faster than the Aston Martin driver had expected at the right-hand Turn 6. It saw Alonso out-qualify Stroll for the 15th consecutive Grand Prix but that will offer the Spaniard little joy when he is still without a point this year.
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