Fernando Alonso was perplexed during the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix as he experienced a spin during the race that he described as “paranormal”.
The two-time World Champion is no stranger to strange encounters; however, he found himself laughing in disbelief after his AMR25 suddenly snapped without warning mid-corner.
Alonso insists that this moment had very little to do with driver error, but rather an issue within Aston Martin’s capricious 2025 challenger.
Throughout the Qatar GP, Alonso had made significant ground on his starting position. After starting eighth, the Aston Martin driver sat comfortably within the top six when a sudden loss of control at Turn 10 saw him spin on track. Alonso remained pointing in the right direction; however, he lost two positions in the process.
Speaking after the race, Alonso made his frustrations clear with the unpredictability of the car. Explaining that the incident had nothing to do with pushing too hard.
“No, I was taking it easy,” Alonso told media including Motorsport Week.
“I wasn’t at 100% per cent but this car has these disconnections – I don’t know what to call them. A bit paranormal, like there’s a spirit inside the car.”
Aston Martin’s unpredictability confuses Alonso
Despite the mid-race incident, Alonso stated that the AMR25’s performance did not surprise him, stating that the car had been acting strangely across the weekend.
On Saturday, he experienced several corners where the front end simply abandoned him, leaving the car unresponsive, even at full steering lock.
“Yesterday, suddenly I lost the front for three or four corners,” he recalled.
“In one of them I went straight into the gravel, turning the wheel to the maximum. It felt like I didn’t have front tyres at all.”
The issues then worsened on Sunday, when problems with the rear of the car caused him to spin on track. Alonso emphasised a feeling of a sudden “lash” prior to his spin.
“And today it was the rear wheels, suddenly a lash, so we’re hypersensitive to the wind,” he explained.
“Hypersensitive to one or two degrees of temperature, we’re always on a knife edge and today I made that mistake.
“But fortunately I was very lucky that there was no gravel, that there was nothing and that I didn’t have a train of cars behind me. There were only two at the time.”
Regardless, the weekend delivered more than expected. Alonso scored in both the Sprint and Grand Prix, adding a crucial eight points that helped Aston overtake Haas.
“Definitely lucky with the spin,” Alonso reflected. “Any other track and I probably end up in the gravel.
But two points yesterday, six today – eight in total – that’s beyond what we thought we’d get. I’m really happy for the team. It’s a big moment for the Constructors’ Championship.”
Aston Martin lies seventh in the standings heading to the last round, 12 points behind Racing Bulls ahead, a margin that remains within reach thanks to Alonso’s efforts.
“We can go to Abu Dhabi with a little less pressure and less weight on our shoulders,” he concluded.
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