Aston Martin finally managed to qualify both of its cars into Q2 for the first time this season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, according to an official Formula 1 statement.
After difficult races in Monza, Baku, and Madrid, the team hoped for a better result in Sepang, where straight-line speed is less critical. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both progressed into Q2, also benefiting from penalties imposed on other faster drivers.
Alonso, a three-time winner at Sepang, showed strong pace from the free practice sessions, finishing P14 in FP1, P15 in FP2, and improving to an encouraging P12 in FP3. In qualifying, he advanced through Q1 in P14, followed by Stroll in P15, who achieved his best Q1 performance this season.
Two penalized drivers, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto, chose not to set fast laps in Q2, thereby opening positions for the Aston Martin cars. Alonso secured P12 ahead of Carlos Sainz (Williams), while Stroll took P14.
Alonso acknowledged that the car had not changed since Budapest but noted that the circuit layout worked in their favor. He considered this their best weekend in terms of performance and a step forward in competitiveness.
Despite this progress, Alonso tempered expectations for scoring points on Sunday, highlighting limited straight-line speed and the presence of fast competitors behind them serving penalties.