Fernando Alonso walked into the Italian Grand Prix media day with a heavy mood, even after scoring his best finish of the season. The two-time champion wasn’t celebrating—he was bracing for a tough weekend at Monza, and his press conference ended in a way nobody expected.
Aston Martin finally showed some life at Zandvoort, where Alonso grabbed ninth place. That result marked the team’s strongest outing in a rough season that only recently started turning around thanks to a wave of summer upgrades.
But the squad’s biggest headache remains its Honda engine. And on Monza’s high-speed layout, known as the temple of speed, the Silverstone team could be in for a long, painful weekend.
When asked about the latest upgrades, Alonso admitted the team isn’t satisfied with ninth. He pointed out that the development direction since Budapest has been positive, especially in corner performance. He even suggested that with this philosophy, Aston Martin could become one of the fastest in the corners.
However, the Spaniard was far less optimistic about the engine side. At Zandvoort, he said, the improvement wasn’t big. Handling remains an issue, and the extra power was hard to feel.
Monza, he noted, might offer a more realistic test, but there’s still a long way to go. Both chassis and engine need to improve for next year, and he called that essential.
Alonso didn’t sugarcoat the challenge ahead. He admitted Monza could be one of the team’s worst tracks, along with Baku and Las Vegas. He even warned he might be too pessimistic, but he expects a tough weekend.
As for his future, nothing is set. Aston Martin chief Mike Krack has tried to calm expectations, insisting the team has until the start of next season to confirm Alonso’s place on the grid for 2027.
But when the conversation turned to his own motivation, Alonso dropped a line that brought the media conference to a sudden halt. He said, “I can maintain the motivation until I’m 80 years old.” Then, according to F1 journalist Jorge Peiro, he stood up, put on his cap, and walked out.
What does that abrupt exit really say about Alonso’s mindset heading into Monza—and his plans beyond?
