Fernando Alonso has revealed that Aston Martin’s launch into the 2026 Formula 1 season is off to a slow start after the team’s new car, designed by Adrian Newey, arrived late and covered only limited laps during its initial run in Barcelona. The two-time world champion shared his concerns during Aston Martin’s recent livery unveiling, highlighting that the team was effectively starting from scratch as the new regulations take effect.
Barcelona Testing Served Mostly as a Basic Systems Check
Alonso explained that the brief running in Barcelona was more a symbolic shakedown than a genuine test of performance. Restrictions imposed during this session meant the car was limited to speeds well below race pace, preventing the team from gathering meaningful data. Alonso described the track time as similar to a filming day used for promotional purposes rather than a competitive assessment.
“We’re definitely behind, we’re at square one. I don’t think we’ve even started,”
Alonso stated.
“In Barcelona we were able to run some track time, but I treated it more like a filming day – a shakedown that other teams did privately at Silverstone with 200 kilometers that we couldn’t do.”
– Fernando Alonso, Two-time World Champion
Because some components had not yet been validated for full speed, the team had to restrict the car to 280 kilometers per hour on the straights. This limitation underscored how tight the preparation schedule was leading into the new season.
“Some parts of the car weren’t validated for top speed, and we had to limit ourselves to 280 kilometers per hour on the straights. It’s just one example of how the preparation was pushed to the limit.”
– Fernando Alonso, Two-time World Champion
Uncertainty Remains About the AMR26’s Potential
Due to the limited track activity, Alonso admitted he does not yet have a clear impression of the AMR26’s competitiveness. He emphasized that the upcoming Bahrain test will be the first real opportunity to interact with the car under more representative conditions.
“No, I don’t have it yet,”
Alonso acknowledged when questioned about judging the car’s quality.
“Bahrain will be our very first test, our very first contact with the car. Barcelona was just starting the car and seeing that everything worked.”
– Fernando Alonso, Two-time World Champion
More Than Just Chassis Issues Causing Delay
The 42-year-old driver also agreed with Aston Martin’s Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey’s earlier statements that Aston Martin is trailing behind competitors by several months. Alonso noted that the engine supplier, Honda, has also encountered unexpected difficulties, contributing to the team’s late progress.
“I’m aware of some challenges we have, and I’m not the one saying this – Adrian has said it too,”
Alonso remarked.
“That we were a few months behind what he thinks the other teams were doing, and the same goes for Honda, who have had more difficulties than they expected with the engine.”
– Fernando Alonso, Two-time World Champion
Time Pressure Ahead of Opening Races
With the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne less than a month away, Alonso cautioned that not all issues are likely to be fixed before the season-opening race. The team expects to address some problems throughout the first few rounds rather than having everything ready from the start.
“We believe we have some issues to resolve regarding the project’s competitiveness, and we don’t have much time,”
Alonso said.
“Some of these issues won’t be resolved before Australia, and we’ll have to deal with them in the first three or four races.”
– Fernando Alonso, Two-time World Champion
Rival Teams Watch Closely Despite Delays Due to Newey’s Influence
Despite the challenges, Alonso suggested there is no cause for alarm within the team, attributing the attention from rival squads to Adrian Newey’s reputation for designing innovative and effective cars. Whenever Newey unveils a new vehicle, competitors tend to scrutinize it carefully, anticipating potential advantages or new technical ideas.
“This is the Newey factor – it’s always been like this,”
Alonso said.
“Whenever he presented a car in testing, you always had an eye on that car and what it could do or what could be copied. Now it will happen to our rivals.”
– Fernando Alonso, Two-time World Champion
The 2026 Season’s Development Battle Will Be Long and Demanding
Alonso cautioned that the 2026 campaign will demand sustained effort and patience, describing the season as a marathon rather than a sprint. Success will depend more on progress made later in the year than initial results, with development and consistency playing a critical role in the championship.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,”
Alonso emphasized.
“The development race is going to be very long. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish – and the second half of the season will be more important than the first.”
– Fernando Alonso, Two-time World Champion
