Fernando Alonso, the two-time Formula 1 world champion, labeled himself “the unluckiest driver in the world” during the Imola Grand Prix, as Aston Martin’s strategic missteps and unfortunate timing cost him a shot at valuable points. The Spanish driver’s outspoken radio comments captured the attention of fans and pundits alike, highlighting a challenging weekend for the Aston Martin team despite promising signs of progress with their upgraded car.
The Imola Grand Prix, held on May 18, 2025, saw Alonso battling not only his rivals but also a series of setbacks that left him visibly exasperated. Early in the race, Alonso showed competitive pace, keeping up with the likes of McLaren and Mercedes’ George Russell, a surprising feat for Aston Martin, which has struggled to match the front-runners this season. However, a poorly timed pit stop dashed his hopes of capitalizing on this performance. As Alonso put it over the team radio, the race was nothing short of “torture,” with strategic errors compounding what he described as persistent bad luck. Posts on X echoed this sentiment, with fans noting Alonso’s history of misfortune, some arguing his streak of bad luck has followed him since his championship-winning days in 2007.
Despite the frustration, there were glimmers of hope for Aston Martin. The team introduced upgrades to their car for the Imola weekend, which Alonso acknowledged as “a step forward.” The car’s pace in the early stages of the race suggested that the upgrades were delivering, allowing Alonso to run competitively in the midfield. At the race restart, he managed to overtake three cars in just nine laps, showcasing his skill and the car’s potential. However, as he later remarked, the team “just ran out of time” to climb further into the points-scoring positions. This mix of progress and disappointment left Alonso and the team with bittersweet feelings about the weekend.
Alonso’s candid remarks resonated widely, with Spanish outlet 20 Minutos reporting his claim of being the “piloto con peor suerte del mundo” (the unluckiest driver in the world), a sentiment that struck a chord with fans who have watched the veteran driver face repeated challenges throughout his career. Discussions on X further amplified this narrative, with users comparing Alonso’s misfortunes to those of other drivers like Charles Leclerc, though many agreed Alonso’s bad luck seemed uniquely persistent. The team’s strategic decisions, particularly around pit stop timing, drew criticism, with some fans pointing to these errors as a recurring issue for Aston Martin in 2025.