The Formula 1 2025 season kicked off with an unexpected surprise – Fernando Alonso’s blunt resolution to remain tight-lipped about practice sessions for the entire season. The Aston Martin driver couldn’t have been clearer in his refusal to engage in any post-practice session discourse.
As the F1 2025 season got underway in Melbourne with the first two practice sessions, Alonso’s performance in the Aston Martin AMR25 was decidedly subdued. After finishing the initial session in the P8 position, he slipped to P13 following the second session.
Traditionally, drivers take this opportunity to share their experiences and insights with the media, but Alonso was far from cooperative. When questioned about his takeaways from the inaugural Friday, Alonso responded with a curt, “Nothing, and if I learn something, I will not tell you.”
He further elaborated on his stance, stating, “We come here because it’s mandatory, but there is nothing really to talk about. We just jump out of the car and as usual, it will be 24 Fridays like now that you can ask anything, I will not answer.” Alonso’s focus, it seems, is strictly on collaboration with his team to evaluate their performance and strategize accordingly.
Alonso’s reticence was mirrored by his team-mate Lance Stroll, who offered minimal insight when probed about his experience after FP2 in Melbourne. Despite making it to the top 10 in both sessions, Stroll was noncommittal when queried about his confidence in the Aston Martin AMR25’s performance.
His response was as vague as it gets, “I mean, it’s just practice,” he said, indicating that he hadn’t assessed the long run paces yet. On being further pressed about the AMR25’s balance, Stroll responded with a vague, “Yeah, some corners better than other corners. Just stuff to work on like that here.”
This year marks the third year of the Aston Martin’s collaboration with the driver duo of Alonso, a two-time World Champion, and Stroll. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how this unorthodox approach to media engagement by the drivers will affect the team’s public image and performance.
