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Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso will be increasingly concerned ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
There are only three days left of pre-season testing in Bahrain before the Australian Grand Prix, and out of all of the teams in the paddock, Aston Martin appear to be in the most trouble.
After turning up late to the Barcelona shakedown, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso faced a myriad of teething issues last week.
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Adrian Newey’s team appeared to be the slowest car on track, behind newcomers Cadillac, and Stroll has had his running plagued with technical issues.
Honda’s GPS data will be a major concern for Aston Martin, as their power unit appears to be having the most trouble after the regulation changes.
Alonso’s camp are extremely concerned with Aston Martin’s early progress, and journalist Roberto Chinchero has explained what’s going on behind the scenes at the Silverstone-based team.
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Chinchero explained the situation at Aston Martin on the Motorsport YouTube channel and said: “There are so many processes involved that even the Barcelona tests were completed at the last minute because they renewed all the production processes.
“It is clear that Honda is behind schedule. I believe the rumours are correct that they are not running with a more powerful engine for fear of reliability issues.
“The car, and this is perhaps the biggest surprise, seems to have some significant teething problems.
“However, problems with the single-seater, theoretically, if they are not structural or conceptual problems with the design, can be resolved or at least greatly limited with further development.
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“If you have a significant engine deficiency, then the alarm is louder because you cannot intervene on the engine between now and Bahrain.
“It should be certified after six races if there is a power gap, after which you have the extra budget and the opportunity to work on the engine, but it’s a complicated situation, and there was a very heavy atmosphere in the pits.
“I understand Fernando Alonso because he has the time available that Honda can give him.
“Honda always gives us time. When it arrives, it will take us three years, but then it will arrive, because they do the work and they do it brilliantly, but at their own pace.
“Fernando no longer has that time, so there is also an extra element of stress for Fernando, who got out of the car and threw his gloves down.
“I understand him because he sees his hopes fading every year, and the end of his career is now close.”
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What must Aston Martin do before the Australian Grand Prix during the final Bahrain test?
The short answer to this is get their car on track for as long as possible to collect as much data as they can.
Williams missed the Barcelona shakedown entirely, but have now completed two filming days and covered more miles than any other team during the first three days in Bahrain.
Alonso was furious with Aston Martin last week, and unless Newey and Honda have some amazing tricks up their sleeve, then he and Stroll face an uphill battle getting out of Q1 in Melbourne, let alone challenging for points.
The two-time world champion will turn 45 this season, and while Alonso has spoken about his retirement plans, he won’t want to leave Formula 1 at another low ebb.
It’s up to Aston Martin to find some solutions to these issues. Stroll’s warning that they’re more than four seconds off the leaders right now will lead to some serious questions being asked of Newey’s personnel in Silverstone and the Honda outfit in Japan.
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