Fernando Alonso’s race at the F1 Italian GP ended in frustration as a front-right suspension failure forced him to retire from P15, although that was a net P7. The Aston Martin driver had been on course for valuable points at Monza, but another reliability setback left him empty-handed once again.
Reliability strikes again
Speaking after the race in the print media pen, Alonso reflected on a run of bad luck that has cost him dearly this year.
Alongside the points missed on Sunday, he also retired in Monaco when heading for a top 6 result on that Sunday afternoon as he was ahead of Hadjar and Ocon.
“We had a suspension problem and always these things happen when we have a scoring race. We had some races that we were dead last and nothing happened. In Monaco I think I was P6, retired with an engine problem. Today I was [a net] P7, retired with a suspension problem.”
The Spaniard calculated that he should already have a much bigger haul in the standings: “It is frustrating that I should have maybe 20–30 points more than what I have. Not down to me but it is the way it is. Unfortunately I am getting used to it.”
He also dismissed suggestions that the Monza kerb alone was responsible for the failure: “I am not sure. I think everyone is using the kerb and the cars are running. Only Nico is retired. I don’t know what happened to Nico. So not the kerb.”
Frustration outweighs performance
While the AMR25 has shown improved pace in recent rounds thanks to updates, Alonso made it clear that consistency is what really matters.
“Nothing really changed. I don’t need to have good performance. I need the points. The performances are always good. I don’t remember having a very bad performance on the team or on my side in 22 seasons.”
His overall verdict was blunt: “It is frustrating. Every weekend we try to do well and luck is not with us.”
A season slipping away
With yet another DNF, Alonso’s tally falls well short of what his performances deserve. Across 16 races, Aston Martin’s lead driver has repeatedly found himself sidelined by technical issues when running strongly. His calm yet cutting assessment at Monza summed up the feeling inside the team: the car is competitive enough for points, but reliability is undermining all progress.
With his retirement at Monza, Fernando Alonso remains in 12th place in the Drivers’ Championship, with 30 points to his name after the F1 Italian GP. He trails teammate Lance Stroll, who sits 11th with 32 points, and is only marginally ahead of Esteban Ocon in 13th (28 points). For Aston Martin, that gap in points—caused in large part by these kinds of reliability issues—is becoming harder to recover from as the season progresses.
