Alonso says Aston Martin will eventually have the best car, but 2026 start will be a trial

Fernando Alonso believes Aston Martin, under Adrian Newey, will eventually field F1’s fastest car. Early 2026 tests show the AMR26 lagging – it ran the fewest laps in Bahrain and was about 4.5 seconds off the leaders. The team is “on the back foot” but expects a step‑up later in the season.

Why it matters:

• The early‑season gap shows how steep the learning curve is under the new 2026 aero and power‑unit rules.
• Closing a 4‑5 second deficit would lift Aston Martin from a development project to a genuine title challenger.

The details:

• In Bahrain the AMR26 completed 200 laps, the fewest of any team, and was roughly 4.5 seconds slower per lap than the Mercedes‑powered front‑runners.
• Alonso noted two priority areas: integrating the new Honda power unit with Aston Martin’s in‑house gearbox, and extracting more aero downforce.
• Newey, who also took on team‑principal duties, promised a “very different” car for the Australian Grand Prix, saying the current chassis is only a first step.

What's next:

• Aston Martin expects a major aero and power‑unit update for the Australian Grand Prix, aiming to slash the 4‑5 second deficit.
• Further test days in the coming weeks will focus on fine‑tuning the Honda‑AMR gearbox integration and validating Newey’s aerodynamic concepts.