Aston Martin still in ‘pre-season testing’ with software issue costing Fernando Alonso half a second

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Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Aston Martin seemed to have fixed a big issue in their car that could give Fernando Alonso a huge boost.

Alonso was reportedly losing half a second per lap during the Miami Grand Prix, despite earning a P15 finish, Aston Martin’s best result this season.

With all the issues Aston Martin have been dealing with, team principal Adrian Newey has come under fire for his handling of the situation.

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And will they get one at all?

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In an effort to remedy the situation, Newey is working on an overhaul of the AMR26 in time for the Belgian Grand Prix in July.

But ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, Adrian Newey and Aston Martin may have fixed the issue that Fernando Alonso faced in Miami.

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Aston Martin have addressed gearbox issue that cost Fernando Alonso half a second

Speaking with Roldan Rodriguez, Spanish F1 reporter Carlos Miquel revealed that Aston Martin have made some strides with their gearbox synchronisation.

This issue was supposed to have been implemented in Miami and would have helped Fernando Alonso gain half a second per lap.

“Aston Martin are going to improve again this weekend. You improve when you’re actually on track. In Miami, they had a problem with the gearbox synchronisation.

“They’ve been working on the gearbox, and Alonso [in Miami] would have gained half a second per lap if the gearbox had worked properly.

“They’ve been working on it these last three weeks. There will be a noticeable improvement, but it won’t get them out of Q1.”

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Aston Martin set to gain ‘advantage’ touted in preseason testing after recent improvement

Miquel added that Aston Martin, at this point in their timeline, are where most teams would be during preseason testing.

But their work on the AMR26 could see them gaining the advantage Aston Martin touted ahead of the season.

“The better they are, the more the car will keep improving. That said, right now, Aston Martin’s situation is that they are in the final part of preseason testing, which is incredibly tough in absolute terms.

“But relatively speaking, every lap they get, and they’ll be able to get more laps because the vibrations have been significantly reduced, will give them that advantage they were talking about in preseason testing. Gaining half a second just by learning how to use the software.”

Despite concerns that Newey wouldn’t allow improvements to the AMR26, Aston Martin’s improved performance in Miami showed that they have put in the work.

And if Miquel’s reporting on their gearbox issue is accurate, they could even find themselves competing slightly above the bottom of the pack this weekend.

For most teams, this wouldn’t be considered a success. But given the dire start to the season Aston Martin have made, they may have to settle for these incremental improvements this year.