Fernando Alonso Optimistic About Aston Martin's Major Hungary GP Upgrade

Fernando Alonso says he is "optimistic" about the major upgrade Aston Martin are introducing at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but has cautioned against expecting too much.

Aston Martin are introducing a heavily revised car, which features less weight, including a new chassis, and a significant aerodynamic change.

It is their first upgrade of the year after starting the season with a car and engine well below the best.

Alonso said: "Budapest is a friendly circuit for us. Power is not the most important here, but we update the car and not the engine yet.

"I am more into the weekend, understanding the direction of the car, if we are in a good path and we can unlock finally the performance."

Aston Martin have chosen to introduce their new parts all in one go rather than the more usual tactic of drip-feeding smaller upgrades over a number of races.

This was done as the team decided it was the most efficient use of their budget within the sport's spending cap.

But it means Aston Martin have progressively fallen further behind the field.

The last two circuits, Silverstone and Spa, have been particularly difficult for them because of the lack of performance of their Honda engine.

But even at the Spanish Grand Prix last month, a more corner-dependent track, they were four seconds off pole position, and more than three seconds off the Racing Bulls and Audi teams at the front of the midfield.

That is partly why Alonso is resisting the temptation to give any kind of judgement on where the term might end up this weekend.

"I am not thinking on numbers or positions," he said. "In the last five races we have very different gaps to the midfield.

"The other teams opted for a more conventional upgrade path, bringing 0.1-0.2secs every few races and then you end up with a second in race 12.

"We didn't do that and we try to catch up all in one go. It doesn't change your natural position in the end."

The Honda engine is not changing this weekend - the Japanese company is taking a development engine to the next race, the Dutch Grand Prix, after Formula 1's four-week summer break.

Aston Martin chief technical officer Adrian Newey said at the British Grand Prix earlier this month: "It became quite obvious very quickly that we were not going to be competitive in the early races.

"So, we took the painful but I believe correct decision to not do any developments through the first half of the year, knowing that that would actually mean, as everybody else develops, of course, the gap to the front would actually get bigger.

"But, with a view to then really getting ourselves better organised, putting lots of different systems into place for the future, and then really doing our research properly, because the '26-car was a very competitive timescale.

"So, it's enabled us to step back a bit, take a bit of pressure off ourselves, because I think we actually put ourselves under too much pressure over the winter, and take a deep breath, and really understand our problems, what we need to achieve, (with) this upgrade package that we go to Hungary as the first stage, the second stage in Zandvoort."

Alonso, who is 45 on 29 July, is out of contract at the end of the season and is weighing up whether to continue in F1.

He has said that he is committed to Aston Martin for the long term whether he stays in F1 or not, and he repeated that on Thursday, saying: "I do have a contract, so I'm not moving."

But he said his decision as to whether to keep racing in F1 would not be based solely on how the upgrade performed.

He is also undecided on whether the high levels of energy management needed with the latest generation of F1 engine is satisfying for him as a driver.

This issue is exacerbated on high-speed circuits such as Spa and Silverstone, whereas this weekend in Hungary there is expected to be no engine management because the circuit is slower and the engines will not be starved of energy.

"I have a pretty clear picture of the team that we will fix all the problems," Alonso said.

"They take time but I have no doubts Adrian will provide the best car on the grid sooner or later. I would like to see the first steps with this package.

"And the PU (power unit), I have no doubts, it is a matter of time before Honda fixes the issues.

"I am thinking I need to know what I do next year and the years to come. I feel fresh, motivated and fast but I need to enjoy what I do.

"Silverstone and Spa were not fun to drive. It is not fun to watch or drive. We have been saying the same thing, and it is not to criticise, it is to help everyone improve.

"The direction we took this year is not the same adrenaline I had before from an F1 car. It is a problem (as to whether) F1 gives me the adrenaline I need to live."