Aston Martin F1 Team Has Much Work to Do After Slow Start in Testing

Early testing for the 2026 Formula 1 season shows Aston Martin's new car is much slower than other teams. Driver Lance Stroll said they need to find about four seconds of speed. The team is working hard to fix the car.
By Newsroom | Formula 1, Bahrain |

Initial On-Track Performance Reveals Wide Performance Gap

The start of the 2026 Formula 1 season testing period has brought sobering assessments for the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. Reports from Bahrain indicate the team's new car, the AMR26, is considerably slower than expected, with driver Lance Stroll publicly stating the team appears to be "four seconds off the top teams." This assessment comes amid high anticipation for the car, which features design input from Adrian Newey, a renowned figure in Formula 1 car development.

Unveiling the AMR26 and Early Running

The AMR26 made its track debut during shakedown week in Barcelona but experienced delays, with Lance Stroll completing only four laps on its first day due to a stop. Teammate Fernando Alonso managed more laps, but his best time was 4.6 seconds slower than the pace set by Charles Leclerc of Scuderia Ferrari.

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Aston Martin 'look four seconds off top teams' - 1

Subsequent testing in Bahrain saw Stroll complete 36 laps on the opening day. However, a significant portion of the session was curtailed due to a data anomaly detected by engine partner Honda, requiring further analysis. This interruption, coupled with earlier technical issues that led to fewer than 50 laps completed in Spain compared to other teams like Mercedes, has contributed to a limited understanding of the car's true potential.

Technical Hurdles and Performance Gaps

The team's early struggles appear to be multi-faceted, involving both the car's fundamental design and potential issues with its Honda power unit.

Aston Martin 'look four seconds off top teams' - 2

  • Power Unit Concerns: The Honda power unit has been a subject of observation, with suggestions it might be behind its rivals. Modifications, including additional cooling vents, were implemented on the AMR26 after initial engine issues were identified. Reports indicate the engine was kept at lower revs for data collection and to reduce stress, a departure from the higher thresholds used by other teams.

  • Aerodynamic and Chassis Development: The AMR26 is the first Aston Martin car designed under Adrian Newey's influence. Despite Newey's reputation, the car's development faced delays, with wind tunnel testing reportedly starting four months late. The team also made its track debut in Barcelona's shakedown later than planned, on the fourth day of five.

  • Lap Time Deficits: The starkest evidence of the team's current pace comes from driver assessments. Lance Stroll's estimation of being "four, maybe four and a half seconds off" the pace is a significant margin in Formula 1.

Driver Perspectives and Team Outlook

Lance Stroll has been candid about the team's current situation, acknowledging that "Aston Martin has ‘a lot of work to do’ with AMR26." He highlighted the need to find four seconds of performance, noting it will not appear "from the sky."

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"Right now we look like we're four seconds off the top team, four and a half seconds. Impossible to know what fuel loads and everything people are running. But now we need to try and find four seconds of performance." - Lance Stroll

This sentiment is echoed by the team's general approach to development, which involves continuous efforts to "extract more performance every day from the car" and plans to bring upgrades to both the chassis and the power unit.

Aston Martin 'look four seconds off top teams' - 3

Competitive Landscape and Team Expectations

The 2026 season is seen as a crucial period for Aston Martin, with the integration of Adrian Newey as team principal raising expectations. However, the initial testing results suggest a steep climb ahead.

  • Top Teams Leading: As of the reporting period, Charles Leclerc and Scuderia Ferrari were setting the pace in Bahrain, with other teams like McLaren and Mercedes also showing strong early performance.

  • Lagging Performance: Aston Martin's performance on track has been contrasted sharply with that of their rivals. For instance, George Russell of Mercedes set the fastest lap during an earlier shakedown test in Barcelona, a performance starkly different from Aston Martin's early outings.

  • Development Timeline: The delayed start to crucial development phases, such as wind tunnel testing, may have compounded the challenges, potentially placing the team on the back foot against established front-runners.

Expert Analysis and Future Prospects

While direct expert commentary on the current Aston Martin performance is limited in the provided data, the context of Adrian Newey's involvement and the team's ambitious goals is evident. Pre-season reports from earlier in the year (Source 6, Source 8) suggested that Aston Martin could be a team challenging the top contenders, a view partly fueled by Newey's arrival and the creative design of the new car. However, these projections now face a significant reality check based on early on-track data.

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Aston Martin 'look four seconds off top teams' - 4

The team's strategic partner, Honda, also faces scrutiny, with suggestions they are on the back foot compared to rival power unit manufacturers. The performance of the Honda power unit will be a critical factor in Aston Martin's ability to close the observed performance gap.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The initial stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season testing reveal Aston Martin is facing a substantial performance deficit. Lance Stroll's frank assessment of being four to four-and-a-half seconds off the pace underscores the immediate challenges for the team. Technical issues with the Honda power unit and a late start to critical aerodynamic development phases appear to be contributing factors.

Moving forward, Aston Martin must:

  • Analyze and Address Power Unit Issues: Collaborating with Honda to extract more performance and reliability from the power unit.

  • Accelerate Aerodynamic Development: Implementing upgrades to the chassis and aerodynamic package to reduce the identified performance gap.

  • Data Collection and Validation: Continue rigorous testing to understand the car's behavior across different conditions and to validate development directions.

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The coming days of testing and the initial races of the 2026 season will be crucial in determining Aston Martin's trajectory and their ability to meet the elevated expectations surrounding Adrian Newey's first car with the team.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How slow is Aston Martin's new car?
Driver Lance Stroll said the car is about four to four and a half seconds slower than the fastest teams. This is a big difference in racing.
Q: Why is the car slow?
The team had some problems with the car's engine from Honda. Also, some important design work started later than planned.
Q: What is Aston Martin doing about it?
The team is working to get more speed from the engine and make the car's body faster. They need to find a lot of performance quickly.
Q: Is Adrian Newey involved?
Yes, this is the first Aston Martin car designed with input from Adrian Newey, who is famous for making fast F1 cars. But it seems the car needs more work.
Q: When will we know more?
The next few days of testing and the first races of the 2026 season will show if Aston Martin can fix these problems.