Electric Cars

Fernando Alonso, the seasoned Aston Martin driver, has voiced his frustration, labeling himself as the most unfortunate competitor in Formula 1 following his disappointing 15th-place finish at the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix. His consistent string of bad luck throughout the 2025 season, marked by unfavorable race incidents and mechanical failures, has significantly impacted his performance, often hindering his ability to capitalize on the strengths of his AMR25 car. Alonso's outlook remains cautiously optimistic, however, as he looks toward the remaining races, hoping for a turnaround in his fortunes and an opportunity for his team to shine.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix proved to be another chapter in what Alonso perceives as a season plagued by misfortune. Starting from 11th on the grid, an unexpected false start by Oscar Piastri directly ahead of him caused Alonso to react prematurely, resulting in a five-second time penalty and an immediate drop in positions. Reflecting on the incident, the 44-year-old acknowledged his reaction but maintained that even without the penalty, the AMR25's inherent lack of pace on the Baku circuit's specific layout would have prevented any significant improvement in his final standing. The track's demand for high downforce and low drag was simply not suited to his car's characteristics.

Alonso's sentiments echo earlier complaints from the current season. He previously cited bad timing with safety cars at Zandvoort, a circuit he felt offered a strong opportunity for his team, and attributed a lack of points at Imola and Monaco to similar unfortunate events. His exasperation peaked with an 11th-place finish at Imola, where he explicitly stated over team radio, 'We are so unlucky. Everything is wrong for us this year.'

Indeed, his season has been marred by a series of retirements, four in total, with three due to technical glitches: brake failure in China, power unit issues in Monaco, and suspension damage in Italy. Curiously, his teammate has not experienced any retirements, though Lance Stroll missed the Spanish Grand Prix due to a wrist injury. Alonso's misfortunes, particularly the timing of safety car deployments and virtual safety cars that allowed rivals to gain an advantage through early pit stops, have disproportionately affected him at circuits that theoretically should have favored the AMR25.

As the 2025 Formula 1 season progresses with seven races still on the calendar, Alonso is already anticipating challenges at certain venues, such as Las Vegas and Mexico, where he expects the AMR25 to struggle. His strategy for these races is to minimize damage and navigate them quietly. However, he holds out hope for tracks like Singapore, and reminisces about positive performances at Qatar and Abu Dhabi from the previous season, suggesting that a shift in luck might still be possible for him and the Aston Martin team.

Rodney Childers, a highly accomplished crew chief, is set to join JR Motorsports in 2026, where he will oversee the No. 1 Chevrolet. This significant appointment brings a wealth of experience to the team, given Childers' impressive background in NASCAR.

Childers' distinguished career spans over 600 Cup Series races, highlighted by 40 victories and a NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2014 with Kevin Harvick. Prior to this new role, he had a decade-long tenure with Stewart-Haas Racing before a brief stint with Spire Motorsports in early 2025. His leadership at Michael Waltrip Racing also led to the team's inaugural and concluding victories. Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports, expressed enthusiasm for Childers' arrival, noting their long-standing relationship and the opportunity to integrate his expertise into the JRM family. The 2026 season will also see a rebrand of the Xfinity Series to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. Alongside Childers' appointment, the No. 1 car's driver lineup will be adjusted, with Carson Kvapil moving to a part-time schedule, sharing duties with Connor Zilisch, who is also embarking on his first full Cup Series season with Trackhouse Racing. Andrew Overstreet, the current crew chief for the No. 1 car, will continue to be a part of the organization as JR Motorsports aims to secure a victory for the No. 1 car, currently the only one without a win in the 2025 season.

This strategic move underscores JR Motorsports' commitment to strengthening its competitive edge and fostering new talent within the Xfinity Series, marking an exciting chapter for the team and its drivers.