Against All Odds: Alonso Races Through Pain at Hungarian GP
Aug.3 - Fernando Alonso says it was "worth it" to race in Hungary, after back pain almost forced him to sit out the weekend.
The Aston Martin driver, 44, missed FP1 following a muscular injury sustained during the Belgian GP, with reserve Felipe Drugovich filling in. But Alonso returned for FP2, completed the weekend, and stunned many with a P5 finish in qualifying.
"Yeah, man, it's better to be in the car here and not watching it on TV when we're in Q3 than at Spa, right?" he told Mundo Deportivo. "I could have easily missed it because we were last or second to last, but hey, you never choose that."
An MRI scan earlier in the week revealed a small tear in his lumbar muscle. "I think I hurt my seat in the Spa race," he explained. "It causes me a bit of pain or discomfort when I'm sitting, because it's the same position where you just stress the muscle always on every bump, on every kerb, in every corner. But it's bearable."
Aston Martin made small cockpit adjustments to help Alonso manage the pain, including air cushions in the seat. "If you're a normal person you'd be out for two weeks," he admitted. "But I think it's manageable."
Trackside boss Mike Krack said the team was cautious: "Every lap less is good. We're confident it'll be fine."
Alonso also credited recent upgrades, including the return of the Silverstone floor and improved correlation across all new parts.
"To be honest, I'm quite happy," he said. "The Imola floor, the Silverstone floor, the front wing at Spa - all three have met exactly what we expected."
But he admitted the circuit played a role too: "We haven't changed the car much. It's just that the layout suits our car perfectly."
✅ Check out more posts with related topics:
