Alonso is already fed up with the media: “I won’t answer!”
Fernando Alonso set things straight from the first practice sessions of the 2025 season in Melbourne: he will no longer answer questions on Fridays. He and his teammate Lance Stroll didn't have much to say, setting the tone with brief responses.
It’s off to the races for a new Formula 1 season, and right from the first practice day in Melbourne, Fernando Alonso has already made things clear: he doesn’t intend to linger with the media after the sessions. After completing a first session in P8 and a second in P13 at the wheel of the Aston Martin AMR25, the double world champion was rather… brisk.
Asked in the mixed zone about his learnings of the day, Alonso gave a scathing response: “Nothing, and if I learn something, I won’t tell you.” Atmosphere. He went on to explain that he only comes to press conferences out of obligation: “We come here because it’s mandatory, but there’s nothing to say. We just get out of the car and, as usual, there will be 24 Fridays like now where you can ask anything, I won’t answer.” In short, if you were expecting detailed analyses from the Spaniard this season after Friday’s practice, forget it.
Alonso and Stroll, same vibes?
On the side of his teammate Lance Stroll, the speech was a bit more measured… but just as hollow. He also dodged questions by explaining that testing is not very revealing: « I mean it’s just training. » When asked if the car had good balance, he replied nonchalantly: « Yes, some corners are better than others. There are just things to work on like that here. »
In short, Aston Martin seems to have decided not to reveal too much this year after the tests. A communication strategy? A desire not to give too many clues to the competition? Or just an interstellar laziness to answer repetitive questions? We’ll let you decide.
The frustration of the media
If Alonso has always had a somewhat rock’n’roll relationship with the press, his statement marks a new stage. He simply no longer wants to talk about testing. And honestly, one can understand why. Every Friday, journalists ask pretty much the same questions, for often very conventional answers. Alonso, on the other hand, prefers to be straightforward: « We did laps. The car runs. The engine is alive. The brakes are fine. The gearbox shifts gears. »
Everything works, it remains to be seen the result in qualifying. This kind of ultra-factual response is likely to be his modus operandi for the entire season. If some journalists were hoping for technical insight into the evolution of the AMR25 every Friday evening, they might be disappointed.
A season under pressure at Aston Martin?
With this strong statement, Alonso also sends a signal: he doesn’t want to waste time with superficial analyses. It remains to be seen if this attitude betrays frustration with the performance of the AMR25 or just a general fed-up with F1 communication. For now, Aston Martin wants to remain discreet, and neither Alonso nor Stroll seem inclined to play the media game.
