Fernando Alonso pulled off an unlikely pass on a quicker car at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix.

But the Aston Martin driver was dismayed to see how easily other cars passed his even with a fresh Honda installed.

Alonso started from the pit lane after changing his power unit in Singapore. He attacked Isack Hadjar at the end of lap one and, using the benefit of his soft tyres compared to the Red Bull driver’s mediums, passed him on the inside approaching turn one.

Hadjar spent the next seven laps trying to find a way back in front of the Aston Martin. He eventually got his chance when the Virtual Safety Car was deployed. Hadjar’s Red Bull-Ford engine allowed him to easily accelerate past Alonso – and Sergio Perez ahead of the Aston Martin – as they approached turn seven.

Lap: 3/62 ALO: 1’41.298
Vizard	We think mode eight is best. Mode eight, because you’re going to get overtake this time. Mode eight.
Alonso	I think it’s extremely poor.
Lap: 5/62 ALO: 1’40.768
Vizard	Mode eight when you can, mode eight.
Lap: 8/62 ALO: 1’58.334
Vizard	Virtual Safety Car, Virtual Safety Car. Slow down, keep the delta positive. Run switch Safety Car and you’ve got right toggle on at the moment. At the moment, stay out, Fernando, stay out.
Vizard	Fernando, the right toggle is still on, right toggle’s still on. If you want to turn driver cooling on, you can turn driver cooling on.
Vizard	Stay out. Stay out.
Lap: 9/62 ALO: 1’46.021
Vizard	Virtual Safety Car ending. Run switch, race one, race one.
Alonso	Hadjar drives past Alonso It’s so ridiculous, this engine.
Vizard	Use energy.

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Alonso’s lap times improved after Perez pitted on lap 20:

Lap: 18/62 ALO: 1’40.919
Vizard	And use energy, use energy if that’ll get them. Overtake mode.
Alonso	For?
Lap: 19/62 ALO: 1’40.952
Vizard	That was just to get the overtake mode, just to get the overtake mode.
Lap: 20/62 ALO: 1’40.918
Alonso	We can do something with the strategy of what we do?
Vizard	Not yet Fernando, we’re right in blue flag territory now, so not yet
Alonso	When?
Vizard	It’ll be plan A minus five, plan A minus five.
Vizard	You can go to race two, when you can race two.
Lap: 24/62 ALO: 1’40.306
Vizard	Do a radio check, Fernando, radio check.
Alonso	Yes!
Vizard	Can I have pink eight position nine. Pink eight, position nine.
Lap: 25/62 ALO: 1’40.032
Vizard	Can I get a balance check please, a balance check.
Alonso	No power, no energy.
Vizard	Okay, copy that.
Alonso	Understeer because I killed the tyres in the first 10 laps as well, but yeah, understeer.
Vizard	Yeah, copy Fernando, that’s what we think. I will add 0.4.

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As Alonso pushed hard to increase his gap to Perez, he was unimpressed his that team left him out long enough to be caught by race leader Max Verstappen. That meant he had to slow down to let the other Red Bull driver past, which cost him much of the time he had gained:

Lap: 27/62 ALO: 1’39.482
Vizard	This pace is good. About five more laps, five.
Lap: 28/62 ALO: 1’39.522
Vizard	Lance has stopped. We’re keeping an eye on all of that. We’ll just go as long as we can without risking that one.
Lap: 30/62 ALO: 1’41.467
Vizard	This pace is very strong, it’s really good.
Vizard	Single yellows ahead, single yellows, Colapinto stopped, exit seven.
Lap: 31/62 ALO: 1’41.794
Vizard	Track is all green at the moment, all green. Got Verstappen 1.7 behind, race leader.
Vizard	That is blue for Verstappen, blue flag Verstappen. Alonso slows to let Verstappen past
Lap: 32/62 ALO: 1’39.819
Alonso	We are gaining fucking one tenth per lap, then we lose two seconds, but you cannot spot that he is boxing?
Vizard	We’re okay. You’re ahead of Perez on track at the moment. Lance is still about five seconds behind the window.
Alonso	Yeah but now I need 20 laps to gain what I lost in this lap so I will not push.
Alonso	The engine is broken out of eight. What is going on?
Vizard	Copy, I’ll try and get an answer, stand by
Lap: 34/62 ALO: 1’40.145
Vizard	One more lap at this pace, one more lap.
Lap: 35/62 ALO: 1’45.850
Vizard	Okay Fernando we will box this lap, we will box this lap. I’m going to add 0.4 aero balance.

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Alonso came out of the pits ahead of Perez. On lap 38 Albon pitted and dropped behind him. From there on Alonso held his position to the finish:

Lap: 40/62 ALO: 1’40.366
Alonso	Any threats or any [unclear]?
Vizard	The only threat is Albon, eight seconds back on two-lap-newer softs. Albon eight seconds back two laps newer soft.
Lap: 41/62 ALO: 1’39.862
Vizard	In terms of hope, Fernando, it’s Sainz and Lindblad 20 seconds ahead, so it’s going to be tough.
Vizard	Blue flag Antonelli. Blue flag Antonelli.
Lap: 42/62 ALO: 1’38.704
Alonso	Maybe tell me the distance with the guys in front, just curiosity, [unclear].
Vizard	Sainz and Lindblad are doing 38.1s, 38.1s for them.

Lap: 52/62 ALO: 1’38.386
Vizard	To keep you updated, Lindblad is 18 seconds ahead, so you’ve caught him a bit.
Lap: 55/62 ALO: 1’39.022
Vizard	Seven more laps, seven.
Vizard	Lindblad 17 seconds ahead, 17.
Lap: 57/62 ALO: 1’38.779
Vizard	Five more laps, five.
Lap: 59/62 ALO: 1’38.671
Vizard	Three more, that’s three.
Lap: 60/62 ALO: 1’39.898
Vizard	Two more laps, two.
Lap: 61/62 ALO: 1’41.614
Vizard	One more lap, one more lap.
Chequered flag
Vizard	Chequered flag. Chequered flag. Thanks for pushing. Can I have pink, default B, bravo? Pink, default, B, Bravo, 04, OK.
Vizard	Okay Fernando, driver cooling off please, driver cooling off, then P0.

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2026 Singapore Grand Prix

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