Aston Martin planning Australian GP update package that’s ‘not expected’ to fix testing issues

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Aston Martin face an uphill battle not to be the slowest team on the grid at the Australian Grand Prix after a disastrous pre-season testing session in Bahrain.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are starting the 2026 F1 season on the back foot after completing the fewest laps of any driver across two weeks in Bahrain.

Reliability issues plagued Aston Martin throughout all six days, with the Honda power unit under increased scrutiny.

Adrian Newey has expressed concerns about Honda’s power output, and now, Aston Martin are working around the clock to make sure they’re not at the back of the grid at the Australian Grand Prix.

Journalist Kemal Sengul has shared more details about what could change on the AMR26 between testing and the first race in Melbourne.

However, two weeks of work in the factories in Silverstone and Japan won’t be enough to fix Aston Martin’s growing list of issues.

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Aston Martin planning ‘new plans’ to arrive at the Australian Grand Prix after testing issues

Sengul provided an update on Aston Martin’s progress on X ahead of the opening race of the season, but it wasn’t laced with the level of positivity that Alonso and Stroll would like.

He said: “Aston Martin is racing against time to prepare for the Australian Grand Prix.

“There are currently numerous issues to be resolved on both the engine and chassis sides.

“In addition to reliability issues, there are problems with the gearbox, cooling issues, and the engine’s drivability is also not good.

Which driver will be the biggest disappointment of 2026, other than the Aston Martin duo?

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“Moreover, as the engines will be approved on 1 March, solutions must be found within this one-week period. Therefore, Honda is working extra hard.

“New parts are expected for both the chassis and the engine for Australia, but it is not expected that all issues will be resolved. That is the latest information.”

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

Aston Martin are now limiting media access as the 2026 F1 season is written off

As soon as Aston Martin turned up nearly four days late for the shakedown in Barcelona, questions were starting to be asked about their potential to break into the upper echelons of the grid.

Newey’s chassis design quickly caught the eye, but Stroll only completed a handful of laps, and Alonso wasn’t able to experience the full potential of the Honda power unit.

It turns out the initial precautions Aston Martin took with the Honda power unit were far more serious than first imagined.

Alonso broke down on day five of testing in Bahrain, Stroll spun off the day before, with Aston Martin never providing a reason why, and the team failed to set a competitive lap time on the final day.

Aston Martin limited media access to the team, with Newey not doing any team principal interviews during his time in Bahrain.

There are suggestions that Aston Martin might be at risk of the 107% rule in Australia, such is the deficit to the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

Alonso has experienced plenty of disappointment during his F1 career, but this could potentially top the lot if he fails to qualify for the opening race in Bahrain.