Alonso, Suffering from Back Pain, Leaves a Surprisingly Promising Friday

Despite the odds, things turned out better than expected. This modern classic of syllogisms best describes the first day of work in Budapest. Aston Martin was the surprise of the practice sessions on a Friday that seemed to be very routine, where the free practice sessions were expected to result in a dull day of qualifying and race simulations. And so it was, if you look at the top positions on the timesheet, with McLaren predictably being the fastest by far and Charles Leclerc as the only pursuer.

The day began with quite a shock in the late morning, just before the first session of the day was about to start. Aston Martin publicly announced that Fernando Alonso would not be able to participate in the first practice session. The reason, officially, is that the Asturian has been suffering from muscle discomfort in his back since the Belgian Grand Prix, last Sunday, which means he might spend his 44th birthday under the care of his trusted physiotherapist—and brother-in-law—Edoardo Bendinelli.

The Asturian, despite fulfilling media commitments without major issues on Thursday, woke up on Friday still experiencing discomfort, which forced Aston Martin to leave him out of the first practice. In his place, Brazilian Felipe Drugovich, the test and reserve driver, took to the track, as he is there for such occasions.

Alonso's participation not only in the second practice session but for the rest of the weekend depended on how these discomforts evolved and whether the medical treatment he would undergo would prove effective. However, despite the initial setback, Alonso took to the track. Not without difficulties and after a small adaptation to the seat of his AMR25, the Asturian was able to run in the second practice session to prepare for the rest of the weekend.

The fifth-fastest time achieved by the Asturian was surprising, although not as much as seeing his illustrious teammate, Lance Stroll, surpassing him. The performance of the green cars raised many eyebrows this Friday, especially since the updates in Spa did not seem promising and, in fact, left many doubts in the morning. However, in the afternoon, under conditions much more similar to those expected—rain permitting—on Sunday during the race.

Beyond the time, as it remains to be seen under what fuel conditions those times were set, Alonso is starting to feel the urgency for a break. "We did an MRI to see exactly what it was and I had a small injury in the left lumbar, so we limited the mileage over the weekend and made changes to the seat with air bags that can be inflated or deflated to find more comfort," he explained. In this regard, and despite the setback, he hopes those pains won't recur, as he managed to control them in the second part of Friday. "I need some rest, but the summer break is coming, so there are two days left trying to find some comfort in the seat," he resignedly stated.

One of the images of this Friday was that of a strange object in the middle of the track thrown by Max Verstappen from his Red Bull. The four-time champion, who on Thursday had to address rumours linking him to Mercedes, got rid of a towel that had been left inside the cockpit, which earned him a reprimand from the stewards.

Beyond the incident itself, it is a clear indication of the reigning champion's current situation. Verstappen has not started well in Hungary, although everything could change this Saturday during qualifying. The performance McLaren is showing this season is so superior that it more closely resembles what he himself did in the past, making him very aware that he won't be able to do much. Only the potential battle between the Woking drivers themselves—who almost collided in a risky overtaking move during the second practice—could give him a chance. That's why the towel throw is more literal than figurative, because Verstappen will never give up as long as the maths give him a chance.