Alonso: Aston Martin briefly faster than the Ferraris on slicks at Sepang

At Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, held at Sepang, Fernando Alonso told Sky Sports F1 that Aston Martin was “even faster than the Ferraris” during a brief phase on slicks, but in the same interview said, “we were very slow with the slick”. In separate post-race comments to Spanish media, he said he had expected more from the race pace.

The track was wet but drying when the race started, and Aston Martin chose medium slicks. Drivers who started on slicks soon struggled for grip. Alonso linked the Ferrari comparison to his lap-four pass of Lewis Hamilton, saying he was pulling away while both world champions struggled on the tyres.

Alonso said the Safety Car brought the field back together and that a new race began from that point. In his Spanish-media comments, he also described significant oversteer and said a small front-wing adjustment did not really resolve it.

Before the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Alonso said Aston Martin’s car had been unchanged since Budapest earlier in the 2026 season and that its competitiveness depended on circuit layout and the number of straights. The team brought no upgrades to Sepang.

Hamilton finished third, Charles Leclerc fourth and Alonso eighth.