Fernando Alonso cut a wry figure after the United States Grand Prix, half-joking that he was glad the weekend didn’t stretch any longer than three days – because Aston Martin’s pace might have vanished entirely by Monday.
The Spaniard’s dry humour masked a growing frustration with a pattern that’s become all too familiar for the Silverstone squad: start strong on Friday, hold on through Saturday, then fade away when it matters most on Sunday.
Alonso was among the front-runners early on at the Circuit of the Americas, setting the fourth-fastest time in FP1 before taking sixth in Sprint Qualifying. But any promise quickly evaporated.
A first-lap collision ruined his short-format race on Saturday, and while he salvaged a point by finishing tenth in Sunday’s Grand Prix, it was an afternoon that left more questions than answers.
“In Qualifying, we were stronger for sure than in race pace,” Alonso admitted afterward.
“It has happened a few times already this year that on Friday we are very fast, on Saturday we half fast, and then on Sunday, we are struggling more. It’s good that it is only three days, the weekend. If not, on Monday we would be even worse!
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“We need to understand why and we need to build the momentum in the last five races step-by-step and arrive in a strong position for Sunday.”
That inconsistency has plagued Aston Martin for much of the season, as the AMR25 continues to show flashes of speed over one lap but struggles to sustain it over a race distance.
Momentum the missing ingredient
Despite earning a solitary point, Alonso wasn’t hiding his disappointment.
“It was good to score one point, obviously, but I don’t know... we didn’t have the pace. We were slow in the race. We held the position, and even with two DNFs in front of us with the Williams and the Mercedes [Carlos Sainz and Kimi Antonelli], we still only finished 10th, starting 10th.”
His message to the team was clear: the problem runs deeper than strategy or tyre wear.
“We need to find a little pace for Mexico,” he concluded.
Stroll fights back, but frustration remains
Aston Martin’s other car had its own share of chaos. Lance Stroll was handed a five-place grid penalty after colliding with Esteban Ocon during Saturday’s Sprint, leaving him to start Sunday’s race from 19th.
Still, the Canadian made the most of his afternoon, carving through the field to finish 12th and just outside the points.
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“It was a fun race, attacking all race, and some good overtakes, so that was fun,” Stroll said.
“We were close to getting points, we did the best we could, and it was going to be tricky from where we were starting.
“We made our way through and picked up some positions. The car was feeling good today, so we’ll see what we can do in Mexico.”
For Aston Martin, the good news is that both drivers still see flashes of performance. The bad news? Those flashes tend to fade too quickly.
As Alonso quipped – and half-meant – the AMR25 needs to find a way to last the whole weekend and not run out of steam.
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