Fernando Alonso has confessed to competing through the Chinese GP weekend while nursing a slight neck injury.
Aston Martin welcomed former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey to the fold at the beginning of the month, but with his efforts directed at the 2026 car, the Silverstone outfit languishes in seventh in the constructors' standings.
"I think we knew after the Bahrain test that we wouldn't be in a good position," chief trackside officer Mike Krack conceded.
"We've seen that we are in the middle of the grid. It's very tight, but in reality, that's where we are."
For Alonso, 43, the Chinese GP brought a nightmare scenario when his brakes overheated and gave out, forcing him to limp into the pits and call it a day.
"If it had happened at turn 13 or 14, I think I would have taken out five or six cars," he told DAZN. "Running out of brakes in an F1 car is one of the worst things that can happen."
Beyond the brake fiasco, Alonso was contending with more in Shanghai. Sharp-eyed fans noticed extensive physio tape on his neck as he stood on the grid.
"I tried to protect my neck," he admits. "I had a twinge, a nerve, or something like that for a few days. In the end, it didn't help much because we didn't do that many laps."
After crashing out of the Australian season opener, Alonso remains pointless in the 2025 championship.
