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F1 pundit Karun Chandhok has shared an update on the atmosphere at Aston Martin, highlighting that ‘everyone’ at the struggling Silverstone-based constructor is ‘deflated and depressed’.
It’s been a very difficult few months for Aston Martin fans. With Adrian Newey at the helm, expectations were through the roof for the British F1 outfit before the start of the year, but they have simply failed to deliver a car that has even a remote possibility of scoring points.
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Their Honda power unit has been deemed to be the biggest issue in the AMR26’s package, which, in the first few rounds of the season, left Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll with the possibility of suffering permanent nerve damage due to the violent vibrations being emitted.
Following Honda’s home race at Suzuka, one of Aston Martin’s AMR26s remained in Japan for further testing at the manufacturer’s base in Sakura. They looked to eliminate the vibration issue, but it came at the cost of not allocating resources to chassis development.
Karun Chandhok says ‘everyone’ at Aston Martin looks ‘depressed’
Speaking via The F1 Show, pundit Karun Chandhok mentioned the ‘deflated’ atmosphere within Aston Martin in the midst of the AMR26 woes this year.
The former Lotus driver began by highlighting the size of the FIA document that outlines the different upgrades each team brings to a race weekend.
Due to nearly every single team on the grid bringing a swathe of changes for their 2026 challengers to Miami, the document was over 24 pages long. However, Aston Martin’s page was completely blank.
Which F1 team were the biggest disappointment at the upgrade-heavy Miami Grand Prix? 📊
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“There were 11 individual upgrades [for Ferrari]. Every single team had various bits and pieces. We scrolled down, and the Aston page said nothing,” Chandhok told his co-hosts.
“There were no upgrades on the car, on the chassis. We know that they had the full car at Sakura in Japan after Suzuka to try to understand the vibration issue, but we didn’t really get a clear answer as to how much has been resolved.
“I think the drivers are saying that the tingling feelings, at least, are better, so progress is being made. But at the end of the day, Lance Stroll was still five seconds behind Checo in that race. And with all due respect to Cadillac, they’re a brand-new team.
“This was the year when Aston was supposed to go from the midfield to being a top-five team. For me, it’s really, really difficult to watch, just seeing that whole team because they’re working incredibly hard.
“Everyone just looks deflated. Anyone I speak to in green just looks depressed and deflated, and it’s a long, old year for them, isn’t it?”
- READ MORE: Fernando Alonso claims less practice is ‘better’ for Aston Martin as he reveals their upgrade plan
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll disagree over the AMR26’s vibration issue
With Aston Martin and Honda’s focus during F1’s five-week break largely on the vibration issue of the latter’s 2026 power unit, many expected the problem to be completely fixed upon the grid’s return to action in Miami.
Alonso revealed all was well with the AMR26 after qualifying, but teammate Stroll had a differing opinion on the matter, noting that while there were fewer vibrations, they were still present.
Still, former F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has no concerns over the Silverstone-based outfit returning to the top by utilising Honda power.
The pundit identified Honda’s storied history in F1 as a clear sign that they will be able to turn things around this year and become a top team through the synergy with Newey’s chassis.
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