Gary Anderson questions Aston Martin’s factory tools after what he saw at the Australian Grand Prix

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Gary Anderson feels Aston Martin should have realised their front locking issues well before the 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix, where the AMR26 was the worst car for it.

Aston Martin endured a sobering start to the 2026 F1 season at Albert Park last weekend, as Fernando Alonso retired after just 21 laps and Lance Stroll enjoyed 43 laps. Stroll’s 43 laps were even a positive, after he feared prior to the race that a mere 15 laps would be his limit.

Team principal Adrian Newey revealed in Melbourne that Stroll and Alonso, who predicted a personal limit of 25 laps, feared they were at risk of permanent nerve damage in their hands owing to the vibrations from their Honda engine. But Honda’s PU is not their only problem.

Anderson also saw Alonso and Stroll frequently struggling with front locking throughout the Australian GP weekend, which Aston Martin turned into an extended test. The AMR26 does not look like a nice car to drive, either, which Stroll struggled with far more than Alonso did.

Higher or lower: Aston Martin will complete 20 laps in the Chinese Grand Prix before their first retirement

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Gary Anderson questions Aston Martin’s simulation tools after their front locking in Australia

Anderson even believes the Aston Martin AMR26 was the worst car in terms of front locking at the Australian GP, which every team is still adapting to. Drivers are regularly locking up as they lose too much heat in the brake discs by utilising regenerative harvesting to slow down.

READ MORE: Five things we learnt from the 2026 Australian GP after Oscar Piastri crashed

Former Jordan technical director Anderson believes Aston Martin should have detected the extent of their front-locking problems well before the first race of the 2026 F1 season, given the “sophisticated simulation tools” that every Formula 1 team has at their factories today.

Anderson told The Race: “I’m not sure that when Aston Martin were running I saw a car that was good to drive.

“Alonso will wring a car’s neck any time he has the chance, but Stroll needs a bit more confidence in what is underneath him. Just looking at the limited laps that Stroll did over the Melbourne weekend, he never really gave off that impression.

“It also looks like the car’s tendency to lock front wheels, which everyone is suffering from, is just that bit worse than others.

“Yes, Aston Martin lack track time, but with the sophisticated simulation tools these teams have back at base, this is a problem that should be able to be identified in advance.”

Gary Anderson thinks Aston Martin scoring ‘a few points’ may now be a ‘miracle’ result

Have Aston Martin already ‘completely ruined’ their relationship with Honda?

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Aston Martin’s problems with their Honda engine in part prevented the squad from avoiding Alonso and Stroll frequently locking their front brakes at the Australian GP. Honda’s PU woes have cost Aston Martin a lot of track time that may have revealed their locking issues earlier.

But Aston Martin’s problems go far deeper with the AMR26, so Anderson already feels 2026 appears to be a “write-off”. He even now thinks Alonso and Stroll scoring a few points in the occasional race would be a “miracle” result, given how many issues Aston Martin have to fix.

“We have only had one race, but already 2026 seems to be a write-off – a year of starting the recovery,” Anderson continued. “Aston Martin need to lower their expectations from potential podium positions to points finishes.

“Simply having a race from lights out to the chequered flag without problems, and on the odd occasion scoring a few points, would be a bonus. Getting to that level from where the project is now could also be classed as a miracle.”

Alonso doubts Aston Martin will finish the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, with Honda still lacking spare parts. The Japanese brand have yet to replace their damaged batteries, which Aston Martin only had two of in Australia after suffering endless failures throughout testing.