Alonso Takes Aston Martin into the Points at Sepang, Singapore the Next Test

Fernando Alonso ended Aston Martin's points drought with an eighth-place finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang Circuit on Sunday (5/10/2026). The result is the Silverstone-based team's best of the 2026 season, and it shows that the car package designed by Adrian Newey is starting to find some clarity amid the performance limits of the Honda Power Unit.

Alonso started the race from 17th after a less-than-smooth qualifying session. Both Aston Martin drivers had actually made it through to Q2, with Alonso 12th and Lance Stroll 14th. However, the decision to run slick tires early in the race cost them both positions. Fortunately, the first safety car changed the dynamics of the race and gave Alonso a chance to recover.

The two-time world champion immediately overtook Sergio Perez and Alexander Albon, surging from 17th to 14th. After his second pit stop, he kept pushing forward, passing Stroll, Esteban Ocon, and Arvid Lindblad to break into the top ten on merit. Mercedes helped indirectly: George Russell had to retire with a technical problem, while Norris went off track under the safety car after being disturbed by cars slowing ahead.

In an interview with Sky Sports F1, Alonso said he had felt his car was faster than the Ferrari. "We were even faster than Ferrari, overtaking Hamilton, and I was pulling away from him. At that point I thought, okay, this is going well," he said. Even so, he admitted the slick tires made the car very slow before the safety car changed the situation.

"There are many weekends where we can't score points, and in moments like that we can't afford mistakes. Today we executed well." — Fernando Alonso

Speaking to the Spanish media, Alonso said the result was still below his expectations. He complained of oversteer that troubled him throughout the race, even after front wing adjustments. "I expected more from our race pace. We still have homework to do," he said. He also highlighted the importance of battery energy management, especially when he had to hold off Norris, who was in recovery mode. "I had a full battery for two laps and used it on the straights. It's a situation that can work for you or against you if you can read it."

Meanwhile, Stroll had to settle for 12th after running within reach of the points zone for much of the race. He complained about the hard-tire strategy in the final stint, which he felt was too conservative. "We were in the fight for the top ten, but the hard tires cost me a few positions," he admitted. Data showed Stroll lost 14 seconds to Alonso in just 10 laps, equivalent to 1.4 seconds per lap.

The big question: why was Aston Martin so competitive at Sepang? The earlier struggles at Monza and Baku were widely believed to stem from the Honda Power Unit's suboptimal performance. Alonso suspects the Malaysia performance was more track-specific. "On paper, Singapore should be better than Sepang," he said hopefully. But he also acknowledged there would be races where his team is not competitive and that they have to accept that reality.

With this result, Alonso now has seven points, level with Esteban Ocon (Haas), Nico Hulkenberg (Audi), and Carlos Sainz (Williams), and ahead of Albon, who has collected only five points. For Aston Martin, the momentum at Sepang is valuable capital heading into next week's Singapore Grand Prix. But the real challenge is proving that this performance is not just a circuit-specific fluke, but the foundation of a revival for a team that has long been left behind.