Feb.10 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has openly conceded that Aston Martin is beginning Formula 1’s new 2026 era on the back foot, after the team’s Adrian Newey-designed car arrived late and barely ran during the Barcelona shakedown.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS following Aston Martin’s livery launch, the two-time world champion made no attempt to downplay the situation.
“We’re definitely behind, we’re at square one. I don’t think we’ve even started,” said Fernando Alonso. “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 kilometres that we couldn’t do.”
Alonso explained that Barcelona effectively served as Aston Martin’s delayed first systems check, rather than a meaningful performance test.
“Some parts of the car weren’t validated for top speed, and we had to limit ourselves to 280 kilometres per hour on the straights. It’s just one example of how the preparation was pushed to the limit.”
As a result, the Spaniard says he has no real feel yet for the competitiveness of the AMR26.
“No, I don’t have it yet,” Alonso admitted when asked if he could judge whether the car was good or not. “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.”
Alonso acknowledged that the delays go beyond the chassis, echoing comments already made by Adrian Newey.
“I’m aware of some challenges we have, and I’m not the one saying this – Adrian has said it too,” Alonso said. “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.”
With less than a month until Melbourne, Alonso warned that not all issues will be resolved in time.
“We believe we have some issues to resolve regarding the project’s competitiveness, and we don’t have much time,” he 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.”
Despite that, Alonso played down panic around Aston Martin’s delayed appearance, suggesting Newey’s reputation alone explains why rivals are watching closely and hailing the apparently radical design.
“This is the Newey factor – it’s always been like this,” he 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.”
Still, Alonso stressed that 2026 will be a long game.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” he said. “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.”
Join Grand Prix Tours in Austin, Texas for the high-energy 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Experience nonstop action on one of Formula 1’s most exciting tracks, featuring dramatic elevation changes, thrilling overtakes, and a packed race weekend. Off the track, enjoy a festival atmosphere with live music, world-famous BBQ, and buzzing nightlife. Your Grand Prix Tours package includes a fully curated race weekend, highlighted by exclusive access to our private F1 Celebrity Talk Show, where guests gain insider insights and behind-the-scenes perspectives. With demand soaring and this event quickly becoming a modern American racing tradition, now is the time to secure your spot for an unforgettable Austin Grand Prix experience.
SHOW PACKAGES
There are motorsport events, and then there is the Indianapolis 500, the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Next year marks Grand Prix Tours' 42nd Indianapolis 500 tour and our decades of experience and local connections provide exclusive access that few fans ever enjoy, including police escorts on race day, a Dallara IndyCar Factory tour, Gasoline Alley and Legends Day, the Driver Introduction Ceremony, and a private dinner with former Indy driver Derek Daly. Combined with excellent hotel accommodations, seamless event planning, and Grand Prix Tours' signature service, this is far more than a race weekend; it's a once-in-a-lifetime motorsport experience. With tour spaces limited each year, we encourage you to reserve your place early for the 111th Indianapolis 500.
SHOW PACKAGES
Experience Formula 1 at its most iconic with an unforgettable trip to the 2027 Grand Prix de Monaco. Feel the excitement as the world’s best drivers race through the legendary streets of Monte Carlo, surrounded by superyachts, Mediterranean views, and the unmistakable glamour of Monaco. From incredible race viewing to carefully selected accommodations, Grand Prix Tours brings you closer to the action at one of the most prestigious and spectacular events in all of motorsport.
SHOW PACKAGES
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the ultimate test of speed, strategy, and endurance. Watch the world's top manufacturers battle for 24 nonstop hours in one of motorsport's most prestigious events. With Grand Prix Tours handling your accommodations, transfers, and ticket options, all that's left is to experience this unforgettable bucket-list race.
SHOW PACKAGES
Feel the roar of Formula 1 at its spiritual home. Silverstone is one of the fastest and most demanding circuits in the world, where brave overtakes, lightning-fast direction changes, and flat-out commitment separate the best from the rest. Combined with the electric atmosphere created by hundreds of thousands of passionate fans, the British Grand Prix delivers a race weekend unlike any other.
SHOW PACKAGES