Poor results expose Aston Martin’s early 2026 crisis
Aston Martin has made a disappointing start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, sitting near the bottom of the constructors’ standings after seven rounds. With just one point, the team is only ahead of Cadillac, the new entry expected to struggle in its debut year.
Pre season expectations were far higher. The arrival of Adrian Newey, major technical hires, new Silverstone facilities, and a fresh project around Honda power units were supposed to push Aston Martin closer to the front. Instead, the AMR26 has turned out to be one of the least competitive cars on the grid.
Fernando Alonso summed up the frustration after qualifying last in Barcelona, saying the team is currently running with “the worst car and the worst engine” in Formula 1. At the moment, it is unclear how much responsibility lies with the chassis design versus the new power unit partnership.
De la Rosa highlights Newey’s unchanged influence and driver focus
Despite the struggles, Aston Martin’s confidence in Adrian Newey remains strong. Team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa, who previously raced Newey designed McLaren cars, insists the legendary engineer has not changed in his approach or intensity.
De la Rosa pointed to Newey’s constant work ethic and unique ability to listen to drivers, something he believes still sets him apart in modern Formula 1 where data often dominates communication between engineers and drivers.
He recalled an example from his McLaren days, explaining how Newey once turned detailed feedback about understeer in a single corner into a technical change that improved the car’s front end behavior at the next race. According to him, this hands on problem solving is what defines Newey’s success across multiple championship winning teams.
Even with the current performance issues, Aston Martin is not rushing upgrades every race. Instead, the team is focusing on a major development package expected at Spa, while Honda continues working on improving the power unit.
Fernando Alonso remains hopeful that progress will come later in the season, saying the goal is to give fans something to celebrate in the second half of the year.
