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Damon Hill was stunned by ‘extremely surprising’ Fernando Alonso moment after his Honda complaints

Fernando Alonso has been critical of Honda this season, but one moment in the United States Grand Prix will give Aston Martin hope. Aston Martin…

By Sean Fisher · F1 Oversteer

Published: Monday, 26 October 2026 at 7:00 AM

Key Things to Know

Damon Hill was surprised by how easily Fernando Alonso overtook Carlos Sainz despite Aston Martin's engine power complaints.
Alonso passed the Mercedes-powered Williams of Sainz along the pit straight during the United States Grand Prix.
Hill suggested battery charge and power unit deployment around a Virtual Safety Car period assisted the overtake.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill expressed surprise after Fernando Alonso made an easy straight-line pass on Carlos Sainz during the United States Grand Prix. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Hill called the overtake extremely surprising given Aston Martin's consistent complaints regarding a lack of power from their Honda engine.

Hill noted that power deployment, battery charge, and a Virtual Safety Car period likely played key roles in the move. Despite the overtake, Aston Martin endured a difficult race in Austin, with Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll finishing in 16th and 15th place respectively.

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