"One of the most disappointing positions I've ever attained"

Fernando Alonso concluded 2025 feeling proud of his driving skills, yet dissatisfied with his final position in the championship standings—calling P10 "horrible". "It's one of the worst placements I've ever had in my career," remarked the 44-year-old Aston Martin driver. "Finishing tenth in the Drivers’ Championship is dreadful for me," he shared with AS. Nevertheless, he noted that his P6 finish in Abu Dhabi mirrored the level of performance he exhibited all season in a subpar car. "I qualified sixth and finished sixth. Nothing significant happened during the race—no safety car incidents, no poor pit stops. I never gain positions for free; I strive to fight for them." 

"While I am pleased with how the year went, I am eager for it to conclude." Following his immediate return to the UK from Abu Dhabi to work in the Aston Martin simulator, Alonso expressed that his primary goal in F1 these days is to outperform his teammate. "The only thing I can focus on is finishing ahead of my teammate. Out of 20 drivers, ten will finish ahead of theirs and ten behind, which serves as the only genuine benchmark." He added, "I’ve been at it for 24 years and seldom faced issues." 

Alonso will head directly to the simulator in Silverstone. Regarding the regulatory changes for 2026, he remarked, "We are entering uncharted territory." "Expectations are higher than what reality can depict. No one can predict speed since we lack references or rumors. We'll find out where everyone stands in Barcelona and Bahrain." He emphasized that the development for 2026 will be significantly more important than what Aston Martin presents in Australia. "For me, the real hope is for the car by the fourth race rather than what we display in Australia," the Spaniard indicated. "With such a major overhaul, you could find yourself half a second faster just two months later." 

Alonso feels optimistic, particularly due to the Newey redesign. "We have a new factory, a new wind tunnel, and for the first time, Adrian Newey is working on the car. The team that executes the best work will be at the forefront," he stated. "It’s up to us—if we don’t get it right the first time, we’ll need to make sure we do on the second attempt." 

When discussing Lando Norris's world championship victory, Alonso was gracious. "Congratulations, Lando, I'm very pleased. All three deserving of the championship—they've had an outstanding year. Piastri was particularly strong, Max is undoubtedly the best on the grid, and Lando has been incredibly fast." He also reflected on his long-standing relationship with the new champion. "When I departed from McLaren, he was the test driver, then we paired up at Daytona, and he’s a great guy and an extraordinary driver."

"One of the most disappointing positions I've ever attained" Fernando Alonso concluded 2025 feeling proud of his driving skills, yet dissatisfied with his final position in the championship standings—calling P10 "horrible". "It's one of the worst placements I've ever had in my career," remarked the 44-year-old Aston Martin driver. "Finishing tenth in the Drivers’ Championship is dreadful for me," he shared with AS. Nevertheless, he noted that his P6 finish in Abu Dhabi mirrored the level of performance he exhibited all season in a subpar car. "I qualified sixth and finished sixth. Nothing significant happened during the race—no safety car incidents, no poor pit stops. I never gain positions for free; I strive to fight for them." "While I am pleased with how the year went, I am eager for it to conclude." Following his immediate return to the UK from Abu Dhabi to work in the Aston Martin simulator, Alonso expressed that his primary goal in F1 these days is to outperform his teammate. "The only thing I can focus on is finishing ahead of my teammate. Out of 20 drivers, ten will finish ahead of theirs and ten behind, which serves as the only genuine benchmark." He added, "I’ve been at it for 24 years and seldom faced issues." Alonso will head directly to the simulator in Silverstone. Regarding the regulatory changes for 2026, he remarked, "We are entering uncharted territory." "Expectations are higher than what reality can depict. No one can predict speed since we lack references or rumors. We'll find out where everyone stands in Barcelona and Bahrain." He emphasized that the development for 2026 will be significantly more important than what Aston Martin presents in Australia. "For me, the real hope is for the car by the fourth race rather than what we display in Australia," the Spaniard indicated. "With such a major overhaul, you could find yourself half a second faster just two months later." Alonso feels optimistic, particularly due to the Newey redesign. "We have a new factory, a new wind tunnel, and for the first time, Adrian Newey is working on the car. The team that executes the best work will be at the forefront," he stated. "It’s up to us—if we don’t get it right the first time, we’ll need to make sure we do on the second attempt." When discussing Lando Norris's world championship victory, Alonso was gracious. "Congratulations, Lando, I'm very pleased. All three deserving of the championship—they've had an outstanding year. Piastri was particularly strong, Max is undoubtedly the best on the grid, and Lando has been incredibly fast." He also reflected on his long-standing relationship with the new champion. "When I departed from McLaren, he was the test driver, then we paired up at Daytona, and he’s a great guy and an extraordinary driver."

      Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has stated that Liam Lawson has been informed he will be expected to assist rookie Arvid Lindblad in 2026. Permane clarified that while Lawson won’t be required to serve as a full mentor, he will need to support the 18-year-old as he adjusts. "It’s something I’ve talked about with Liam," he mentioned. "I don’t anticipate him becoming a mentor for Arvid, but I do expect him to be available for support," said Permane. "Sure, he only has a season and a half of experience, but that’s still considerably more than Arvid has. He should be capable, and I expect him to help Arvid during challenging times, particularly at the start and on test days." The 23-year-old Lawson, who faced a difficult first full season that began poorly at Red Bull Racing, expressed some caution about the expectations placed on him. "I expect the team will lean on me a bit due to my experience," stated the New Zealander. "However, I only have one season of experience. You learn a lot in one year of Formula 1, but there is still so much more to grasp."

"One of the most disappointing positions I've ever attained"

Fernando Alonso concluded 2025 feeling proud of his driving skills, yet dissatisfied with his final position in the championship standings—calling P10 "horrible". "It's one of the worst placements I've ever had in my career," remarked the 44-year-old Aston Martin driver. "Finishing tenth in the Drivers’ Championship is dreadful for me," he shared with AS. Nevertheless, he noted that his P6 finish in Abu Dhabi mirrored the level of performance he exhibited all season in a subpar car. "I qualified sixth and finished sixth. Nothing significant happened during the race—no safety car incidents, no poor pit stops. I never gain positions for free; I strive to fight for them." 

"While I am pleased with how the year went, I am eager for it to conclude." Following his immediate return to the UK from Abu Dhabi to work in the Aston Martin simulator, Alonso expressed that his primary goal in F1 these days is to outperform his teammate. "The only thing I can focus on is finishing ahead of my teammate. Out of 20 drivers, ten will finish ahead of theirs and ten behind, which serves as the only genuine benchmark." He added, "I’ve been at it for 24 years and seldom faced issues." 

Alonso will head directly to the simulator in Silverstone. Regarding the regulatory changes for 2026, he remarked, "We are entering uncharted territory." "Expectations are higher than what reality can depict. No one can predict speed since we lack references or rumors. We'll find out where everyone stands in Barcelona and Bahrain." He emphasized that the development for 2026 will be significantly more important than what Aston Martin presents in Australia. "For me, the real hope is for the car by the fourth race rather than what we display in Australia," the Spaniard indicated. "With such a major overhaul, you could find yourself half a second faster just two months later." 

Alonso feels optimistic, particularly due to the Newey redesign. "We have a new factory, a new wind tunnel, and for the first time, Adrian Newey is working on the car. The team that executes the best work will be at the forefront," he stated. "It’s up to us—if we don’t get it right the first time, we’ll need to make sure we do on the second attempt." 

When discussing Lando Norris's world championship victory, Alonso was gracious. "Congratulations, Lando, I'm very pleased. All three deserving of the championship—they've had an outstanding year. Piastri was particularly strong, Max is undoubtedly the best on the grid, and Lando has been incredibly fast." He also reflected on his long-standing relationship with the new champion. "When I departed from McLaren, he was the test driver, then we paired up at Daytona, and he’s a great guy and an extraordinary driver."

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"One of the most disappointing positions I've ever attained" Fernando Alonso concluded 2025 feeling proud of his driving skills, yet dissatisfied with his final position in the championship standings—calling P10 "horrible". "It's one of the worst placements I've ever had in my career," remarked the 44-year-old Aston Martin driver. "Finishing tenth in the Drivers’ Championship is dreadful for me," he shared with AS. Nevertheless, he noted that his P6 finish in Abu Dhabi mirrored the level of performance he exhibited all season in a subpar car. "I qualified sixth and finished sixth. Nothing significant happened during the race—no safety car incidents, no poor pit stops. I never gain positions for free; I strive to fight for them." "While I am pleased with how the year went, I am eager for it to conclude." Following his immediate return to the UK from Abu Dhabi to work in the Aston Martin simulator, Alonso expressed that his primary goal in F1 these days is to outperform his teammate. "The only thing I can focus on is finishing ahead of my teammate. Out of 20 drivers, ten will finish ahead of theirs and ten behind, which serves as the only genuine benchmark." He added, "I’ve been at it for 24 years and seldom faced issues." Alonso will head directly to the simulator in Silverstone. Regarding the regulatory changes for 2026, he remarked, "We are entering uncharted territory." "Expectations are higher than what reality can depict. No one can predict speed since we lack references or rumors. We'll find out where everyone stands in Barcelona and Bahrain." He emphasized that the development for 2026 will be significantly more important than what Aston Martin presents in Australia. "For me, the real hope is for the car by the fourth race rather than what we display in Australia," the Spaniard indicated. "With such a major overhaul, you could find yourself half a second faster just two months later." Alonso feels optimistic, particularly due to the Newey redesign. "We have a new factory, a new wind tunnel, and for the first time, Adrian Newey is working on the car. The team that executes the best work will be at the forefront," he stated. "It’s up to us—if we don’t get it right the first time, we’ll need to make sure we do on the second attempt." When discussing Lando Norris's world championship victory, Alonso was gracious. "Congratulations, Lando, I'm very pleased. All three deserving of the championship—they've had an outstanding year. Piastri was particularly strong, Max is undoubtedly the best on the grid, and Lando has been incredibly fast." He also reflected on his long-standing relationship with the new champion. "When I departed from McLaren, he was the test driver, then we paired up at Daytona, and he’s a great guy and an extraordinary driver."

Formula 1 | Racing Bulls chief Alan Permane has stated that Liam Lawson has been informed that he will be expected to assist incoming rookie Arvid Lindblad in 2026. (…)