Aston Martin Finally 'Back Racing'

Aston Martin achieved their best result of the 2026 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with both cars finishing in the points after bringing a comprehensive chassis upgrade package to Budapest.

Lance Stroll finished 13th while Fernando Alonso took 14th, jumping ahead of Cadillac, Williams, and Haas in what chief trackside officer Mike Krack described as achieving their objective to "go back racing."

"New Start of the Championship"

Fernando Alonso expressed optimism about Aston Martin's direction following the upgrade, describing it as a potential turning point for the team's season.

"I think it was good to feel again the competitiveness and especially at the beginning, we had the pace to follow more or less the midfields," Alonso said. "That was good, and hopefully a good baseline to work with this new car."

The 44-year-old Spaniard added: "Hopefully a new start of the championship for us basically in the second part."

Alonso's 2027 Future Hangs in Balance

While the upgrades provide encouragement, Alonso's decision about continuing in Formula 1 beyond 2026 remains tied to whether the sport delivers the driving experience he craves.

At the FIA news conference ahead of Budapest, Alonso stated: "It's not a problem with the competitiveness of the team. It's just a problem of whether F1 gives me the adrenaline that I need to live."

The two-time world champion has a contract option for 2027 but has expressed disappointment with how the new 2026 engine regulations have affected racing at classic tracks, particularly regarding electrical power deployment.

Honda Engine Upgrade Coming

Aston Martin's progress isn't complete. Honda will introduce an upgraded power unit at the Dutch Grand Prix in late August, which Alonso says is crucial for improving straight-line speed.

"Especially on the engine, obviously, we are looking forward to Zandvoort and trying to get a little bit more competitive in terms of straight-line speed," Alonso explained. "We need that extra speed on the straight."

Reliability Progress

Getting both cars to the finish represented another box ticked for Aston Martin after a run of poor reliability earlier in the season. Lance Stroll suffered a suspension failure in FP1 that limited his track time, but both drivers completed the race.

"We said many times at the beginning of the year, the most important thing is that we finish races, that we learn driveability, shifting, energy management," Krack said. "I think it is only through step by step learning that you can make the car reliable."

Team principal Adrian Newey praised the correlation between simulation data and track performance, calling it "a strong indication we are on the right development path."