Unseen: Fernando Alonso’s helmet punch

Fernando Alonso’s bid to break his points drought at Imola ended in visible exasperation as the Aston Martin driver resorted to punching his crash helmet in the cockpit.



The Spaniard had begun Sunday believing this was the weekend his fortunes would finally pivot.



A season-best fifth on the grid, secured alongside team-mate Lance Stroll in a rare double-Q3 showing, offered tangible proof the green cars could fight ahead of both Ferraris.



That optimism eroded with each lap as the AMR25’s early balance faded and the safety-car timing flipped strategy against the Silverstone squad.



Post-restart, Alonso found himself staring at the Racing Bulls entry of Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver clinging to the final points-paying spot.



Every attempt to pass faltered, and on the approach to Tosa on the final lap the two-time champion’s frustration spilled over.



Television replays showed him thumping both fists against the top of his helmet while still wrestling the wheel, a gesture that forced a rapid correction to keep the car out of the gravel.



The clip briefly circulated on X before being deleted, yet the outburst captured the depth of a struggle that has left Alonso languishing seventeenth in the standings without a single point.



Fiery Pit-Stop Adds To Woes



Team engineers had talked up straight-line speed gains after overnight set-up tweaks, but tyre warm-up proved harder in race trim than over one flying lap.



As Tsunoda defended into Tamburello, Alonso reported a “massive drop-off” in traction, prompting Aston Martin to abandon an earlier plan for a late second stop.



Even when clear air arrived the Aston’s lap times were half a second slower than the midfield benchmark, confirming that outright pace rather than traffic alone dictated the slide down the order.



Crossing the line eleventh, Alonso radioed: “Yeah it’s going to be torture, it’s a wreck. I’m the unluckiest driver in the **** world!”



Imola offered another scare when overheated front-left brakes sent flames licking through the wheel rim moments after Alonso’s sole pit visit.



The fire self-extinguished within metres, yet it reinforced concerns over the squad’s thermal management issues that have surfaced at three of the past five venues.



Reliability and pace, once hallmarks of Fernando’s podium-laden 2024 campaign, have become liabilities in a year when rivals such as McLaren and Mercedes have surged.



Technical director Dan Fallows conceded post-race that brake-cooling upgrades fast-tracked to Monaco may arrive earlier, hinting at emergency manufacturing measures back at base.



Looking Toward The 2026 Rule Shake-Up



With only seven rounds run, Aston Martin already appears to be switching wind-tunnel hours toward the 2026 regulations that promise ground-effect simplification and a lighter power-unit package.



Alonso, now 43, has insisted retirement is not imminent but privately hopes the reset will prevent a repeat of his current “worst start since 2017 with McLaren.”



Team sources suggest the veteran’s new two-year extension is contingent on a demonstrable step in simulation correlation by the summer break.



Until then, scoring even minor points will depend on opportunistic strategies rather than raw speed, a scenario that leaves driver and crew braced for further frustration.



Next weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, traditionally a happy hunting ground for Alonso, offers another chance, but tight confines could amplify the Aston’s braking gremlins if temperatures soar.



For now, the images of a multiple champion literally beating his own helmet encapsulate the discontent brewing inside a team once tipped as 2025’s dark horse.



And with the midfield battle compressing, every squandered opportunity could prove decisive in the chase for seventh in the constructors’ standings.
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