Alonso told to back Aston Martin in blunt ‘shut up and drive’ remark

The former Williams driver pointed to the Spaniard’s repeated tendency to turn against his own teams, an attitude he believes does not befit a two-time world champion.

"Alonso is one of the best Formula 1 drivers in history, but I don't like the way he has criticized the team. If you are a professional driver, you drive and shut up, and you try to improve the project. It’s stupid to criticise the people you work with. He’s done it in the past and he’s doing it again," he told a betting site.

He added that Alonso’s frustrations are understandable given how difficult the car is to handle, but stressed that, as a two-time world champion widely recognised for his ability, he should be defending the situation rather than publicly criticising his team.

Jolyon Palmer argued that Alonso is now operating more like a test driver than a competitor, with Aston Martin lacking the pace to fight anywhere meaningful. The team’s struggles, he noted, leave little for either Alonso or Stroll to play for, with performances well off the mark compared to their rivals.

According to him, weekends have become routine data-gathering exercises, with drivers circulating, reporting on balance and extracting feedback, rather than pushing for results. He pointed out that the car is severely lacking downforce and, with reliability and performance both in question, even reaching Q2 remains out of reach.

He added that the solution is far from straightforward, requiring significant gains in downforce and weight reduction, while much of the responsibility now lies with Honda. As things stand, he does not expect a quick turnaround.