Fernando Alonso says his Aston Martin is working well in Mexico. With Williams just five points ahead, a strong Sunday could turn an encouraging Friday into a change in the standings.
Fernando Alonso left Friday practice in Mexico with something Aston Martin can build on: confidence in the car.
“At the moment at least on my side of the garage, the car is working well,” he said after the opening day.
The timing matters. Aston Martin sits tenth in the Constructors’ Championship with seven points, just five behind ninth-placed Williams. A productive Sunday could change that order.
Why Alonso has reason for optimism
Alonso finished seventh in opening practice while using only medium tires. He ended FP2 in twelfth, but his quickest lap was just 0.127 seconds behind tenth-placed Oscar Piastri and 0.769 off Charles Leclerc’s session-leading time.
Seventh in a rookie-heavy FP1 session needs context. The more useful encouragement was how close Alonso remained to the points-paying positions when the regular drivers returned in FP2.
There is also a reason this circuit might help. Pedro de la Rosa pointed to Mexico’s slow corners as a strength for the Aston Martin and praised Honda’s work minimizing turbo lag. Managing engine and brake temperatures remains a challenge at altitude.
What needs to happen for points
Alonso still has to turn Friday’s promise into qualifying position and sustained race pace. Starting close to the top ten would leave fewer places to recover, while a clean opening lap, reliable running and well-timed pit stops would give him a better chance to stay in contention.
There is work on the other side of the garage too. Lance Stroll finished FP2 twentieth, while Jak Crawford’s earlier session ended with a battery issue. Points from both cars would make Aston Martin’s task considerably easier.
How Aston Martin can pass Williams
If Williams scores nothing, seventh place for Alonso alone would put Aston Martin ahead. Eighth would cut the gap to one point.
The path beyond Mexico
Mexico is the first of five remaining Grands Prix. Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi follow, giving Aston Martin further opportunities to close the gap.
Gaining six more points than Williams across that run would put Aston Martin ahead on points. Gaining five would leave the teams level, with their race finishes deciding the order.
For example, one eighth place and one ninth across the remaining races would add six points. If Williams scored nothing further, that would be enough to finish ahead, 13–12. Every additional point Williams scores raises Aston Martin’s target.
