Alonso Confident Newey Will Deliver Championship-Winning Car for Aston Martin in 2026
Fernando Alonso believes Aston Martin will “eventually have the best car” in Formula 1 under the leadership of Adrian Newey, despite bracing for a challenging start to the 2026 season. The team is currently navigating the complexities of integrating a new Honda power unit, its first in-house gearbox, and Newey’s inaugural design for the AMR26.
Early Testing Reveals Challenges
Aston Martin experienced a difficult pre-season testing period, completing the fewest laps and setting the slowest times at the Bahrain test. This followed a late arrival to the Barcelona test where the AMR26 managed only 65 laps. Alonso acknowledges they are currently behind the leading teams as they adapt to the new car and engine regulations.
Newey’s Impact and Future Improvements
Newey, who assumed team principal duties this season in addition to his technical role, is providing “all the things we need,” according to Alonso. The two-time World Champion emphasized Newey’s extensive experience and a “clear path of improvement” for the team. Alonso stated that the team expects to be “on the back foot” in the first part of the 2026 season, but anticipates a stronger performance later in the year.
“There are a lot of things that we need to unlock,” Alonso explained. “For us, it’s really the first test, to be honest, since missing Barcelona was not ideal. So, we are still going step by step, unlocking performance, and we’ve identified some areas that we need to improve.”
Significant Upgrades Planned for Melbourne
Newey has already confirmed that the car arriving at the Australian Grand Prix in March will be significantly different from the versions tested in Barcelona and Bahrain. Alonso revealed he has seen images of the upgrades and expressed confidence in Newey’s ability to deliver a championship-winning car, stating, “Eventually we will have the best car. It’s a matter of time, but we aim for to have that as soon as possible.”
Areas for Development
While the AMR26 is running smoothly, Alonso highlighted the need to fully integrate the new Honda power unit and Aston Martin’s first in-house gearbox. He believes that aerodynamic and engine performance will be the key areas for unlocking lap time improvements. Teammate Lance Stroll previously indicated the team was up to 4.5 seconds off the leading pace during the Bahrain test.
“I think everything is running smoothly in that regard,” Alonso added. “Surely, we need to integrate a little bit the power unit and the very first gearbox for Aston Martin. But I think the aero performance and the engine performance will still dominate the lap time, so it’s where we need to unlock more performance.”
Aston Martin’s New Facilities
Despite the early challenges, Newey has pointed to Aston Martin’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel in Silverstone as a key asset. However, the team only began testing in the new facility in April 2025, putting them months behind rivals who started development for the 2026 regulations earlier.
Sky Sports F1 will provide live coverage of the final Bahrain pre-season test from Wednesday to Friday, February 18th to 20th, and will broadcast every race of the 2026 F1 season live, starting with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6th to 8th.