Hungary-Zandvoort upgrade to shape Aston, Alonso future

Aston Martin hopes this weekend’s Belgian GP marks the low point of its troubled 2026 season, with a major upgrade package now just one race away.

The Silverstone-based team arrived at Spa expecting to struggle with its unchanged car, before introducing an all-new and highly anticipated chassis package in Hungary next weekend and a new Honda power unit at Zandvoort.

"It’s the same car we had in preseason testing in Bahrain," the Spaniard said as the five-second pace deficit to the leading pace became clear in practice.

"Every race seems worse than the last because everyone else is improving."

Lance Stroll added: "I hope this is the last painful weekend for us.

"There’s nothing we like about our car. It has no strengths, so we can only improve."

Trackside boss Mike Krack played down the extent of the pace deficit at Spa. "It’s what we expected," he said.

"This track was going to be the toughest of them all. And we’re very far behind.

"Anything we achieve will be by wearing others down since there’s nothing to fight for in terms of results. It would be naive to think we can do anything."

Stroll believes next weekend’s Hungarian GP will reveal whether Aston Martin has finally solved its biggest problem. "It’s not so much an engine-focused circuit, it’s a chassis-focused circuit.

"That’s what the test is about. If we continue to be very slow in Hungary, the power we’ll have at Zandvoort won’t fix the chassis problems."

The Canadian played down expectations about the new Honda power unit.

"I think it’s going to improve, but are we going to have the power of Mercedes or Red Bull? I don’t think so," said Stroll.

The success or failure of Aston Martin’s overhaul could also prove significant for Alonso’s future, with the Spaniard still weighing up whether to sign another contract for 2027.

"It’s difficult to quantify the improvement or make an estimate, because I think we already had enough experience calculating performance gains and we didn’t achieve them," he said.

"So I think it’s more about the team demonstrating the right direction. I think the car’s philosophy perhaps wasn’t the right one and we’re changing it.

"More than putting a number on it, I think it’s simply about gaining confidence in what we’re doing, also for next year. There will be a lot of testing in Budapest on Thursday or Friday to reach a conclusion."

Alonso also admits the highlight of this weekend is unlikely to be the Belgian GP - with Spain taking on Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.

"During the race you completely disconnect from the rest of the world," he said. You’re in your own zone, inside the cockpit, enjoying it.

"But outside the car, without a doubt, my priority will be watching the game if I can."