Alonso's verdict: AMR25 is 'for sure a step forward'
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Fernando Alonso has declared Aston Martin's new AMR25 a clear improvement over its 2024 predecessor, following three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Despite a disrupted testing program, the two-time World Champion expressed confidence in the new car's performance, emphasizing the importance of data correlation and the team's overall progress.
Team Silverstone's testing was impacted by Lance Stroll's illness on the final day of running, requiring Alonso to step up big-time on Friday, clocking 82 laps as he made the most of the session to get a feel for the AMR25's potential.
At 43, Alonso has seen it all, and he knows pre-season is a teaser, not the full movie. Still, the F1 veteran was buoyed by what he felt, even if he's keeping his cards close until the real fight kicks off Down Under.
A Short but Telling Test
Alonso didn't sugarcoat the Bahrain experience when asked to sum it up.
"Short!" he quipped. "It's already very short with a normal programme because it's only one and a half days before the World Championship – very unique [to] this sport in that regard.
"But for us it was even shorter this time. First day we had a couple of issues from the telemetry side, on the second day it did rain in the morning, and then in the third day it was a normal programme but between all three mornings maybe not enough laps – but same for everybody, it rained for everybody!
"We're looking forward to Australia."
Friday's relative chaos put Alonso in the spotlight. With Stroll sidelined, he jumped into the AMR25 for the morning session, then handed it back for 34 laps in the afternoon before Stroll waved the white flag again.
Alonso's 82-lap haul gave him plenty to chew on, and he's optimistic about the car's bones. Team principal Andy Cowell's mission was predictability, and Alonso's buying it—sort of.
"Difficult to comment," he hedged when pressed. "I think you'd have to jump from one car to the other to really see the differences, but the car is for sure a step forward compared to the '24 car."
Feeling the Downforce
What's got Alonso buzzing? The numbers, as they don't lie.
"The car is faster, the car and all the data that we have is correlating well and then we see more downforce in all the speeds and all the corners," he said.
It's not just a hunch—the AMR25's showing tangible gains, a leap he can feel in the seat and see on the charts.
"Obviously it's a relative gain comparing everyone else – everyone improves – but we will find out in Australia," he added, tempering the hype with a veteran's caution. Melbourne's the real test, not Bahrain's sandbox.
©AstonMartin
Still, that correlation is gold for Aston Martin, especially after a winter of change.
"It's crucial for us to put things in place, and to have a perfect synchronisation between everyone in the factory and correlation between the wind tunnel – our own wind tunnel, for the first time – and trackside," Alonso stressed.
"[The] '26 rules are around the corner and we need to make sure that the rest of the team is ready to apply all the efforts."
It's not just about 2025 – this is about building a machine for the long haul, and he's all in.
Eyes on Oz, Not the Order
As for the F1 grid's pecking order, Alonso is playing it cool.
"I don't know much because I didn't look at the test," he admitted.
"After lunch I was going back to the hotel and I was relaxing in the hotel and coming in at night for the meeting, so I know everything about our team and our testing programme."
He caught wind of Carlos Sainz topping Thursday's times for Williams, but beyond that, he was blissfully detached.
"I know that Sainz was first [on Thursday], but even today I don't know who is first and second. I guess the top four teams, they will keep an advantage, especially at the beginning of the year, but let's hope we can be closer and closer to them."
Alonso's focus is now laser-locked on Albert Park in Melbourne.
"Looking forward [to it], as usual," he said. "We've been doing a number of promotional days, media days, videos, interviews, sponsor events, and we want to go racing, so [I'm] looking forward [to it]."
For Alonso, Bahrain's a teaser reel—the AMR25 feels like a step up, the data backs it, and now it's time to ditch the hype and hit the track.
Melbourne's calling, and he's ready to see if Aston Martin's new baby can run with the big dogs.
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