Alonso: Aston Martin has solution for 'difficult' 2026 start

Fernando Alonso acknowledges Aston Martin's "difficult start" to 2026 pre-season testing but insists the team has "a solution in place" for the troubled AMR26, claiming there is nothing "impossible to fix" with the car. The team, buoyed by the high-profile signings of Adrian Newey and a new Honda power unit partnership, has been plagued by a lack of performance and reliability in testing, with teammate Lance Stroll suggesting the car needs over four seconds of improvement to be competitive.

Why it matters:

Aston Martin entered the 2026 season with immense pressure and expectation following major technical investments. A failure to resolve these fundamental issues quickly could see the team's ambitious project unravel before the first race, wasting a crucial opportunity to leap forward in the competitive order and disappointing its star driver lineup.

The details:

• The AMR26 has suffered from both performance and reliability deficits during winter testing, with Stroll's assessment pointing to a significant gap to the front.
• Alonso's running on the first day of the final Bahrain test was severely limited to just 28 laps in the morning due to an engine-related issue.
• Stroll's day was also compromised, causing a red flag with a spin and completing only 26 laps in the afternoon session.
• Alonso emphasized that "lots of things" need to be fixed in the remaining days of testing but expressed confidence in the team's work ethic across its UK and Japanese facilities.

What's next:

The clock is ticking for Aston Martin to turn its pre-season around. Alonso stated the goal is to fix what they can before the season opener in Australia and continue improvements in the "first couple of races before it's too late in the championship." His public optimism and claim of a existing solution will be put to the ultimate test when the competitive season begins, determining whether this is a temporary setback or a sign of deeper problems for the high-profile project.