Aston Martin was the slowest team during the F1 tests in Bahrain last week, with a disappointing performance by the AMR26, the new car designed by Adrian Newey and powered by Honda for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, which did not meet the high expectations set before the tests: Aston Martin only completed a little over 200 laps and ran four and a half seconds slower than the leading time in Bahrain.
As reality sets, Aston Martin drivers have publicly said that they are bracing for another complicated season, but recently Fernando Alonso tried a more optimistic approach, saying to Sky Sports that they will "eventually have the best car", because of his trust with Adrian Newey: "We have a guy that after 30-plus years in Formula 1 has been dominating the sport all of those, so eventually we will have the best car. It's a matter of time, but we want to have that as soon as possible."
Alonso has complete trust in Newey, and is convinced he can turn the situation around ("He has the experience. He has been in better times, tougher times, and I think we have a clear path of improvement"), although it will take longer than ideal, and is bracing for a "more difficult start on the back foot. The second part of the season is when we need to be where we want to be."
He also added that the car they will use in the first Grand Prix of the season, Melbourne on March 6-8, will be very different from the one used in pre-season tests. Here's the calendar for the F1 season in 2026.