Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, Abu Dhabi, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Fernando Alonso delivers confident clapback over Aston Martin U-turn

F1 champion Alonso did not mince his words with the media

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Saturday 19 July 2025 10:57

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso has issued a defiant response to the media following a U-turn on their criticism of his Aston Martin F1 team.

After joining Lawrence Stroll's F1 outfit in 2023, the pairing proved an instant success, with Alonso achieving three podiums in his first three grands prix with Aston Martin.

After a positive season saw Alonso finish fourth in the drivers' championship in 2023, the paddock harboured high hopes for the Spaniard, but it quickly became apparent the following year that the team had taken a step back, with Alonso plummeting down to ninth in the 2024 standings.

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Aston Martin have faced criticism ever since over their questionable dip in performance, with neither Alonso nor team-mate Lance Stroll able to find consistent form.

The team are hoping their luck will change when the new wave of regulations are introduced in 2026 however, especially now that they have the talent of F1 design guru Adrian Newey on their side.

Could a change of fortunes be on the horizon for Aston Martin F1 team?

Clearly aware that a reshuffle of the pecking order could be upon them, Alonso warned media at the British GP that he wouldn't forget the negative comments made about Aston Martin during his time with them.

"The factory, we know that is one of the best or the best facilities in the sport," he declared.

"This is not about what we have or where we build the car, then the results are normally the ones that dictate how strong a team is, and we started the year on a very difficult and challenging position when we were not super competitive, and we didn't score points for many races.”

Addressing the media, the two-time champion then continued: "Some of you guys were not really impressed with Aston Martin and you were saying that the team was not on the right path and today you visit the factory and you remain shocked by the facilities and by the level of the team.

"So hopefully some of your colleagues don't forget next time they speak," he concluded.

Will Alonso reap benefits of Aston Martin progress?

The Spaniard claimed back-to-back drivers' titles in 2005 and 2006, but after a tumultuous career, finds himself a world away from championship contention in 2025.

At 43-years-old, Alonso is the oldest competitor on the F1 grid, but that hasn't stopped him from holding his own against his 26-year-old team-mate for the first half of this year's campaign.

So far this season, the Spaniard has out-qualified Stroll at every single race weekend, although the Canadian racer has racked up more points than Alonso overall.

Aston Martin have maintained they are happy with their driver duo as things stand, but both Alonso and Stroll's contracts are set to expire at the end of the 2026 season, so will we ever see Alonso return to his previous form?

Potentially not. The experienced F1 star has touched on the idea of retirement this season and although he maintained his positivity over the signing of Newey, he admitted he may be better suited to a role away from the track in years to come.

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Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here she realised her background in journalism and love of motorsport could be combined, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work more closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan which she hopes to build on.

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Aston Martin Adrian Newey Fernando Alonso 2023 Lawrence Stroll Stoffel Vandoorne