Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Fernando Alonso did not have kind words for the Chinese Grand Prix after he failed to finish the race for Aston Martin.
The Silverstone outfit are struggling to complete a full race distance in the AMR26. Honda’s power unit issues, as well as severe vibrations in the car, are leaving Aston Martin at the back of the grid.
The plaudits go to Kimi Antonelli, but who else in the top 10 impressed you at the Chinese Grand Prix?
Let us know in the comments below!
Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll have failed to finish the opening two races of 2026. The Spaniard retired from the Chinese Grand Prix after suffering horrible vibrations, saying after the race that he almost lost feeling in his hands.
Alonso has been privately voicing criticism at Aston Martin amid the team’s desperate situation. After the race in Shanghai, he had some brutal comments about the ‘spectacle’.
Fernando Alonso says four cars not starting in China is the ‘worst spectacle’ for Formula 1
Alonso was one of three retirements in China, with Stroll and Max Verstappen both suffering mechanical problems. 15 cars finished the race, with four not making it out of the garage and onto the grid.
Alex Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto and both McLarens did not start the Chinese GP, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri having different electrical issues. Speaking after the race to AS, Alonso felt that four cars not starting is not good for the sport.
“Four cars didn’t start; that’s probably the worst spectacle you can have,” said the Aston Martin driver after his retirement.
“Starts are fun, it was in Australia too. When we all have the same battery level on the first lap, full, the car gets a good start. But then we enter the world championship of battery life, and there we’re not as good as the others.”
READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2
Fernando Alonso says Honda need ‘more time’ to fix 2026 problems
With the team desperately off the pace and their drivers’ safety potentially at risk in the car, Aston Martin and Honda face a race against time to solve their issues.
Right now, Aston Martin’s problems could take months to solve, but Alonso has insisted that the team need time to get back on track.
Have Aston Martin already ‘completely ruined’ their relationship with Honda?
“Between Australia and China we had five days, so the engine was exactly the same,” he added. “Now we have two weeks, we’ll have more time on the dyno, and we need to give Honda more time to understand the cause of the vibrations.
“We’ve probably resolved the battery insulation issue, although Lance had a problem, but overall we need to give Honda more time.”
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
