Fernando Alonso delivered Aston Martin’s strongest performance of the season in Hungary, finishing fifth after a strategic masterclass in tyre preservation. Starting with a conservative pace on medium compounds, Alonso deliberately dropped over a second per lap to stretch his stint and make a one-stop strategy viable. His precision allowed him to rejoin ahead of Max Verstappen after his own pit stop, despite sacrificing early pace.
With Verstappen switching to fresh tyres late in the race, Aston Martin feared an impending attack and urged Alonso to deploy additional power modes. The veteran, however, dismissed the call to burn performance early, insisting on saving energy for a potential final duel. Confident in his rhythm, he pushed as if every lap was a qualifying run, maintaining a consistent pace in the 1’20s bracket while carefully managing tyre life to the chequered flag.
The Red Bull threat never materialized as Verstappen remained bottled behind Liam Lawson, allowing Alonso to secure fifth with a seven-second cushion over Bortoleto and thirteen over Verstappen. His jubilant radio confirmed the significance of the result: “Sixteen points, isn’t it?” Aston Martin’s haul propelled them to sixth in the constructors’ standings, edging Sauber and narrowing the gap to Williams, setting the stage for a spirited second half of the season.
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