Alonso: Aston Martin's issues are fixable, but time is running out
Fernando Alonso believes Aston Martin's 2026 car problems are solvable, but concedes the time needed for fixes will hurt their title hopes. The team's ambitious new project, including a Honda engine and in-house components, has suffered from a lack of reliability and pace in testing, putting them on the back foot before the season starts.
Fernando Alonso acknowledges that Aston Martin's troubled 2026 car can be fixed, but warns that the time lost solving its early problems will severely damage the team's championship ambitions this season. The two-time champion's optimism is tempered by the urgent reality that valuable pre-season development laps have already slipped away.
Why it matters:
Aston Martin embarked on 2026 with a bold, title-contending blueprint featuring a new Honda power unit, Adrian Newey's technical direction, and in-house core components. The significant gap to the front and early reliability struggles threaten to derail those ambitions before the season truly begins, highlighting the high-risk nature of such a comprehensive team overhaul.
The details:
- Alonso stated that all the car's issues have solutions in the "short and medium-term," but emphasized the need to fix as much as possible before the championship battle slips away.
- Teammate Lance Stroll's assessment that the car is multiple seconds off the pace underscores the scale of the current deficit.
- Chief trackside officer Mike Krack candidly admitted the start has "not been fantastic," linking a lack of mileage directly to lost learning and development time.
- Krack pointed to the complexity of the team's new in-house projects—like the gearbox and rear suspension—as a major factor in the early growing pains.
What's next:
The team is now in a race against time to solve its problems. The immediate focus is on implementing fixes before the Australian Grand Prix and through the opening races.
- Every lost lap in testing puts the team further behind rivals in the development cycle, making the early season a critical catch-up period.
- Success depends on Aston Martin rapidly translating its ambitious long-term project into a reliable and competitive on-track package before the championship standings solidify.