Alonso optimistic after Aston Martin's Hungarian GP upgrade

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso expressed optimism after the first day of practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix, describing the team's extensive new upgrade package as an encouraging first step despite a mixed Friday at the Hungaroring. The two-time world champion finished 13th in the opening practice session and 19th in the second, but noted the performance gap to rivals had visibly shrunk.

The team introduced what is considered a B-spec version of its AMR26, one of its largest upgrade packages of the 2026 season. The update included sweeping changes to areas such as the front wing, floor, diffuser, sidepods, and rear suspension. Alonso's day was complicated by a suspension failure on teammate Lance Stroll's car during FP1, which sidelined Stroll for the entire second session as the team could not complete repairs in time.

Despite the setback, Alonso reported positive initial feedback, stating the car's performance matched the team's simulations and data projections. He described the correlation as very encouraging for both future upgrades this season and the development of next year's car. Alonso acknowledged the team started from a significant deficit but viewed the...