Feb.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s body language in Bahrain told its own story.
According to DAZN commentator Antonio Lobato, the Spaniard climbed out of his Aston Martin on day two of testing and “threw his gloves not even close to where he should have put them”.
Lobato later revealed the mood inside the team is bleak.
“I spoke with someone close to Fernando, and their feeling was, ‘Another year in hell. Another year of suffering.'”
Despite the high-profile arrivals of Adrian Newey and Honda’s full works support, Aston Martin appears in serious trouble under the new 2026 regulations. Multiple sources in the paddock point to the power unit as a major weakness.
Sky Italia’s Matteo Bobbi cited an anonymous team source describing the Honda engine as “really bad” – an uncomfortable echo of Alonso’s infamous “GP2 engine” frustration during his previous Honda partnership at McLaren.
There are already suggestions Honda is accelerating work on an updated specification, in keeping with its historical pattern in Formula 1 of starting slowly before making rapid gains.
But the problems are not limited to the engine.
When asked what he liked about the new car, Lance Stroll replied bluntly: “The livery.”
“We have engine problems, and not just that,” he continued. “Right now, we’re four seconds short. Or four and a half.
“It’s impossible to know what the others’ fuel loads are and how they’re managing them. Now we have to deal with those four seconds. I don’t think they’re going to fall from the sky.”
Stroll admitted the issues are widespread, with Aston having also introduced its own gearbox for the new era.
“The car currently doesn’t downshift very well,” he said. “Our problems are due to a combination of factors – engine, grip, balance, clutch. It’s not just one thing, it’s a combination.”
He stopped short of writing off the season entirely.
“I don’t have a crystal ball. Can it change in the next few weeks? Sure. Will it improve 100 percent? I don’t know,” Stroll said.
“We’ll bring improvements throughout the season. We’ll see where we stand in Australia.”