Fernando Alonso Returns Swiftly! Aston Martin Star Cleared to Race in Hungarian GP
Fernando Alonso, who was recovering from a back injury, has now been declared fit to race in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Though he missed the first free practice session, he made a strong comeback in FP2, finishing in fifth position. Felipe Drugovich stood in for him during FP1.
Aston Martin’s veteran driver Fernando Alonso has received the medical go-ahead to participate in the Hungarian GP, despite dealing with a back injury that kept him out of the first practice session on Friday at the Hungaroring.
The two-time F1 world champion had been coping with back pain since the Belgian Grand Prix last week but returned to action in Free Practice 2, clocking the fifth-fastest time — just behind his teammate Lance Stroll.
“He opted to skip FP1 to reduce his time in the car while recovering from a muscular strain in his back,” Aston Martin stated on social media.
“After undergoing additional treatment this morning and getting medical clearance from the FIA, Fernando is back in the AMR25, joining Lance once again.”
Drugovich Fills In — Still Awaits Full-Time F1 Debut
During FP1, Aston Martin’s reserve driver Felipe Drugovich filled in for Alonso and managed to secure 16th place, just 0.3 seconds slower than Lance Stroll. The Brazilian racer, who clinched the Formula 2 championship in 2022, remains a dependable backup, though he is yet to make his official F1 race debut.
This is not Drugovich’s first brush with a potential GP outing. In early 2023, he carried out pre-season testing duties in Bahrain after Stroll suffered wrist injuries in a cycling mishap, though Stroll recovered in time for the season opener.
More recently, Drugovich was on standby again during the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, as Stroll was undergoing follow-up surgery for earlier injuries. But once again, the Canadian racer was cleared just in time.
Despite these near-misses, Drugovich is still a key part of Aston Martin’s driver development programme, staying prepared and in top form for whenever the opportunity arises.
Alonso’s Fighting Spirit: A Career Marked by Comebacks
At 42, Fernando Alonso continues to defy age and physical challenges. The recent back injury is just the latest in a long history of injuries he has pushed through over his 20-plus years in Formula 1.
In 2003, Alonso sustained severe bruises in a multi-car crash at the Brazilian Grand Prix, injuring his elbow, thigh, and knee.
In 2015, during pre-season testing for McLaren, he suffered temporary memory loss after a crash and had to sit out the first race of the season. However, McLaren confirmed there was no lasting damage.
Then in 2016, Alonso was involved in a horrific accident with Esteban Gutierrez at the Australian GP. His McLaren flipped and landed in the gravel, leaving him with fractured ribs, which ruled him out of the Bahrain race.
In 2021, he fractured his jaw in a cycling crash during the off-season but returned in time for the start of the season.
More recently, after the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, Alonso disclosed that he had been racing with a pinched nerve in his neck — another example of his determination to push through pain and continue performing at the highest level.
