Alonso: we need to wait a bit more for the engine.

      Adrian Newey’s wife has issued a sharp comeback to veteran Spanish broadcaster Antonio Lobato, who questioned Fernando Alonso’s increasingly optimistic view of Aston Martin’s updated car. Following the Zandvoort race, Alonso praised the latest chassis development led by Newey, calling it "wonderful" to drive, while indicating that Honda’s new Spec 2 power unit had not yet achieved the anticipated improvement in drivability.

      However, Lobato contended that Honda was not solely to blame for Aston Martin's ongoing performance gap. As reported by Spanish media, he claimed that the car lacks aerodynamic efficiency, placing Aston Martin at or near the bottom in terms of corner-speed capabilities.

      Amanda Newey reacted to Lobato’s comments on X with a simple response: "Who?" This remark stands out due to Lobato's lengthy history of covering Alonso in Spain, although their relationship has reportedly cooled in recent years.

      Alonso’s assessment after the Zandvoort race was quite different. "We’re pleased with the chassis’s direction, but we need to wait longer for the engine," he stated. "We’re lacking that handling, that gear change, elements we had slightly improved with the first engine. With this second one, we’ve seemingly returned to square one, so we have two or three races ahead to optimize it."

      Honda has also acknowledged this issue. "Throughout the Dutch GP weekend, both of our new Spec 2 engines performed without significant reliability problems," chief track engineer Shintaro Orihara remarked. "However, we realize there is still potential for improvement in drivability, and we will continue to focus on this as a primary goal for future races."