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Aston Martin’s start to the 2026 F1 season has been nothing short of disastrous, and David Croft has revealed the current sentiments of the team’s staff as they look to find a way back into the fray of the midfield.
The five-week break in between the Suzuka and Miami rounds of the 2026 F1 season was suggested to be the perfect lull in proceedings for Aston Martin following the emergence of several issues that have plagued the competitiveness of their AMR26.
Honda’s new power unit has been deemed to be the biggest gremlin for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll out on track, leading many to speculate on whether Adrian Newey will lose motivation at Aston Martin as he continues to find a fix.
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Staff at the team’s Silverstone headquarters have also raised concerns over whether the AMR26’s issues are even solvable, which has been echoed by F1 commentator David Croft following his talks with Aston Martin personnel.
Aston Martin aren’t optimistic that the ‘B-spec’ AMR26 will solve their woes this year
During a recent episode of The F1 Show, Croft revealed the current sentiments of staff at Aston Martin’s Silverstone factory regarding the incoming upgrades for the AMR26.
The voice of Sky Sports F1’s coverage told co-hosts Karun Chandhok and Simon Lazenby, “Every message I get from Aston Martin at the moment is not exactly full of hope and optimism for the B-spec car that’s coming in.
“For any engine upgrades that might come in during the course of this season, and for morale improvement as well. I don’t think it’s a very happy camp, from what people are telling me within that camp.”
The Briton then highlighted how Jonathan Wheatley’s rumoured move to Aston Martin following his departure from Audi would be a good signing for the British constructor.
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He added, “By that token, someone like Jonathan Wheatley would be a very good person to bring in because he does bring optimism and hope and experience and knowledge and is the sort of person that can turn things around in terms of making a workforce happier.
“I think this is what Aston Martin needs. They need a happy workforce that’s willing to put in the extra hours and disregard the results that are not going their way at the moment for the long-term betterment of the team.
“Sort the workforce out, and then the other problems will take care of themselves. But it’s not a happy ship, from what I’m being told.”
- READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher claims Adrian Newey has no excuse for Aston Martin’s car being overweight
Jonathan Wheatley has also been tipped to make a return to Red Bull following Audi exit
Several theories have been touted regarding the reason why Wheatley called time on his tenure with Audi after just 12 months in charge, with Juan Pablo Montoya suggesting ‘political’ issues, and others pinpointing personal reasons.
While the British engineer has been heavily linked with joining Aston Martin, there’s no official evidence of a move happening. What’s more, reports have suggested that Wheatley could potentially return to Red Bull under Laurent Mekies.
The 58-year-old departed from Milton Keynes at the end of the 2024 F1 term and assumed the role of team principal at Sauber last April.
His exit from the Austrian constructor came in the midst of several high-profile personnel departures, which have seemingly continued into Red Bull’s post-Christian Horner era following Gianpiero Lambiase’s move to McLaren for 2028.
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