Sat Aug 02 15:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Alonso Battles Back Injury as Aston Martin Shows Promise in Hungary

**Budapest, Hungary -** Fernando Alonso battled through a back injury to finish fifth in FP2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, showcasing a potentially strong weekend for Aston Martin. The Spaniard was forced to sit out FP1 after an MRI revealed a minor muscle injury in his lumbar region. Reserve driver Felipe Drugovich stepped in for the session, unexpectedly gaining valuable track time.

“I have a small injury on my muscle on the back… and I needed some rest,” Alonso explained. “Yesterday, we found different solutions with pads and other things that are working fine, so today, I had no pain in FP2, so that is positive.” Despite the discomfort, Alonso remained optimistic, adding, “I don’t have pain in the car, which is the main thing.”

Teammate Lance Stroll also enjoyed a positive Friday, finishing fourth fastest, less than a tenth behind Charles Leclerc. However, Stroll remained cautious about reading too much into the timesheets. “The timesheets on Friday, it’s always hard to know what everyone is doing with fuel loads and all that, but the car felt good and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow,” he said.

Drugovich described his unexpected FP1 outing as “pretty good,” managing to complete the team’s data-gathering program despite a “messy” lap on soft tires and a lock-up.

While Aston Martin enjoyed a promising start to the weekend, other drivers faced challenges. Williams driver Alex Albon admitted to mistakes due to cooler track temperatures in qualifying. Gasly expressed his “disappointment” with his elimination in Q1 of qualifying.

With Alonso managing his injury and both Aston Martin drivers looking strong, the stage is set for an exciting qualifying session and race at the Hungaroring. The team will be looking to fine-tune the car overnight, addressing Alonso’s complaints of understeer, in order to maximize their potential for a strong result.

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