Aston Martin's pre-season woes continue as team admits 'wheels not turning'

Aston Martin is facing a deeply concerning start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, with severe reliability issues plaguing its new AMR26 car during pre-season testing. Team principal Mike Krack admitted the team has failed to keep "the wheels turning," after Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completed a combined total of just 54 laps on the first day of the second Bahrain test—far fewer than any rival. The problems stem from a host of new components and partnerships, leaving the team playing catch-up before the season even begins.

Why it matters:

Reliability is the non-negotiable foundation of any F1 campaign, and Aston Martin's inability to run its car is a major red flag. With three times fewer laps than the leading teams, they are losing critical data and development time. This rocky start jeopardizes their entire season opener and undermines the ambitious project built around new technical partnerships with Honda and in-house gearbox/suspension production.

The details:

• Catastrophic Test Day: The second Bahrain test began disastrously for Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso was sidelined for most of the morning with a power unit issue, managing only 28 laps. Lance Stroll completed just 26 before an apparent active aerodynamics problem sent him into the gravel trap.
• A Pattern of Problems: This follows a similarly poor first test last week, where the team logged the fewest laps (203) of all 11 teams. The issues trace back to the shakedown in Barcelona, where the car appeared late and broke down after just four laps.
• Root Causes: Krack identified multiple, interconnected areas causing "lots of little problems":
  • New Partnerships: The switch to Honda power units is a major operational change.
  • New In-House Components: The team is now producing its own gearbox and suspension for the first time, a significant technical undertaking.
  • New Electronics: A revised electrical system is also part of the complex new package.
• The Consequence: This "lateness" in development and integration has created a reliability crisis. Krack stated the team is struggling to isolate a single fixable issue, as problems are emerging across the entire car.

What's next:

Aston Martin is in a race against time to solve its reliability puzzle before the Bahrain Grand Prix. Krack acknowledges the team is not at the level of its competitors and must focus on solving problems "step by step." Every missed lap in the remaining test days puts them further behind. The immediate goal is simply to run consistently, as without a reliable base, the car's potential performance is irrelevant. The pressure is now on to ensure these are indeed just "teething problems" and not fundamental flaws that could define a long and difficult season.