Alonso mocked over moustache as Aston upgrade flops at Spa

Aston Martin's 2025 season reached a new low at Spa, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both eliminated in Q1 despite a long-awaited upgrade package.

Team boss Andy Cowell confirmed the final major development of the year had been fitted, including a revised front wing aimed at improving rear-end flow. But instead of moving forward, Aston fell to the very back of the grid.

“In FP1 we were able to test the new parts and it seems to be a step forward,” Alonso had said Friday. “We have more downforce with that wing and we're happy with that.”

By Saturday, the optimism was gone.

“We shouldn't be so slow,” the two-time world champion said bluntly. “The car felt good, I was going as fast as I could, but you see the time isn't fast enough. It's one of the fastest laps I've done here, but of course, there are rivals who beat the track record.

“It is what it is. It was better in the corners, a little worse on the straights, but there was nothing wrong. I'm not surprised.”

Cowell admitted the new package may now be shelved. “If we're not sure, we'll go back to the familiar front wing, then we'll look at the data,” he told media. “The new nose improves the low-level airflow to the rear wing, but it should be a good addition in Budapest.”

He also confirmed Aston has ended major development for the year.

“These are the last new parts we plan to bring. There will be some cooling or downforce tweaks, but they belong to the same family of aerodynamic parts for the rest of the year.”

Alonso is hoping rain could turn fortunes around on Sunday.

“It should rain, and it opens up our possibilities. Although I'd prefer to be in the top five and with a dry setup. You can't overtake so easily, visibility is poor, and we need to understand what's happening here to arrive better prepared for Hungary.”

Asked if a shock podium like Hulkenberg’s at Silverstone was possible, Alonso joked, “It hasn't happened to me in 20 years of racing. I think he must have gone to Lourdes.”

With all eyes now on 2026 and Adrian Newey's influence on the Honda-powered project, Aston is even reconsidering a possible purchase of Mercedes' 2025-spec rear suspension.

“It's a distraction for the 2026 group in the wind tunnel,” Cowell admitted. “So we have to assess it carefully.”

Meanwhile, Alonso’s most persistent upgrade may be his moustache—now long enough to draw mockery from his former teammate and friend Pedro de la Rosa.

“It’s getting longer and longer, and it looks terrible on him,” de la Rosa laughed on DAZN. “We all agree that moustache looks bad on him, right?

“In Canada, I told Fernando, ‘That moustache looks really bad on you.’ He told me, ‘You know what? I’m going to let it grow longer.’ And with each race, it looks worse on him.

“But since he’s so stubborn and wants to be contrary, he’s keeping it. I think he’s keeping it to annoy me.”]]>