Fernando Alonso scores his first points of the season at his home Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso finally unlocked his tally in 2025 by finishing ninth in Barcelona, securing his first top 10 of the season. But it wasn’t just this result that set the stands alight: the Spanish driver had to show great aggressiveness to climb through the pack on Sunday.

An aggressive yet controlled race

Starting in the top 10, Fernando Alonso complicated his task by going off into the gravel, which caused him to lose a few positions. He quickly made a pit stop to put on new tires and came out last, suggesting that all hope for points was lost.

But the Spaniard showed patience, gradually climbing up to 13th place when the safety car came onto the track. Thanks to his fresher tires compared to his rivals, he began a strong comeback, overtaking Liam Lawson in the penultimate lap, and then inheriting 9th place due to the penalty handed to Max Verstappen.

« I am happy, also happy for the fans who were very excited at the end. I saw people standing up in the last laps, so happy for them », he said after the race.

« For us, the race was more difficult than expected, we were very slow on the straights. All the attacks had to be made outside of turn 3, so not in a classic overtaking zone, but that’s all we had today. I was clearly more comfortable on Saturday than on Sunday. »

« We had to take more risks today because overtaking is difficult, following another driver damages the tires a lot, so we were aggressive. I was expecting a bit more race pace, but we take the points scored today and try to build momentum from now on, » he explains.

Important Points for Aston Martin

Before this race, Fernando Alonso was experiencing his worst season start since his debut in 2001, with eight Grand Prix without scoring a single point. Bad luck also played a role, notably in Monaco where a retirement had deprived him of almost certain points.

But breaking this losing streak in front of his audience, on a circuit where he claimed his last F1 victory in 2013, made the moment even more special.

Aston Martin had only one car on track on Sunday, as Lance Stroll had to withdraw on Saturday night for medical reasons.

« We missed Lance today, and I wish him a speedy recovery », added the Spaniard.

Despite the points scored by the Spaniard, Aston Martin lost ground in the Constructors’ standings. Isack Hadjar and Nico Hülkenberg scored big for their respective teams, leaving Aston Martin tied with Sauber with 17 points each.