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Guenther Steiner jokes that rivals ‘don’t have to worry’ about Aston Martin winning the Australian Grand Prix.
One of the major talking points ahead of the opening round of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Australia has been the difficulties Aston Martin have experienced.
There were high hopes for Aston Martin this season as Adrian Newey arrived at the team as the team principal and would design his first Aston Martin Formula 1 car.
However, the AMR26 does not appear to be up to Newey’s usual standards as the car has experienced several difficulties with its chassis and new Honda engine that has been taken on for the 2026 season.
Can Adrian Newey turn the Aston Martin AMR26 into a race-winning car in 2026?
Guenther Steiner discusses Aston Martin’s engine issues
After the Bahrain Formula 1 test, it became clear that a major issue for the AMR26 was its new Honda engine, which had been suffering from a vibration issue.
The vibrations have been causing the battery within the Honda engine to struggle to reach maximum charge, an issue that has not allowed them to reach top speed.
Former Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner, discussed the idea of Aston Martin not completing the Australian Grand Prix on Triple M, as he stated he believes they will try to race and will do as much as they can, but ‘will not be fast’.
Steiner said, “I am quite surprised with what has happened at Aston Martin. I think they have an issue with their engine, with vibrations, and they cannot get it to work.
“But between testing and now, they have maybe found some solutions for it, will they have fixed the car completely? No. But at least they will show up and do as many laps as possible.
“But they will not be fast, we do not have to worry about them winning.”
Should F1 stop Aston Martin from racing after Adrian Newey revealed Fernando Alonso’s ‘nerve damage’ fears?
Aston Martin could miss multiple Grands Prix due to safety concerns
In a press conference ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Adrian Newey spoke to the press and discussed safety concerns for the Aston Martin drivers.
It was during this press conference that Newey revealed that there are concerns that Fernando Alonso is at risk of ‘permanent nerve damage’ due to the vibrations from the Aston Martin.
Alonso believes he will only be able to complete 25 laps at the Australian Grand Prix before becoming at risk of permanent nerve damage, whereas Lance Stroll has suggested only 15 laps.
Newey has also admitted that the vibrations from the AMR26 are so bad that the mirrors and taillights on the Aston Martin are ‘falling off’.
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