Formula 1 start in Australia
A verdict could hardly be worse
March 5, 2026 – 4:59 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
The new Aston Martin is dangerous to health. A verdict before the Formula 1 opener in Australia could hardly be worse. It particularly affects a veteran star.
Formula 1 team Aston Martin has to expect a disaster at the start of the season. Before the first Grand Prix of the year this Sunday (5 a.m. CET/Sky) in Australia, team boss Adrian Newey admitted significant problems caused by the Honda engine.
Drive-related vibrations would cause “some problems in terms of reliability,” said the Englishman, who has earned a reputation as a design genius over the course of his career, in Melbourne on Thursday. “Mirrors fall off and so on, which we need to fix. But the much bigger problem is that the vibrations will ultimately be transmitted to the driver’s fingers.”
Fernando Alonso was of the opinion that he could not drive more than 25 laps in a row without risking permanent damage to the nerves in his hands, said Newey. Lance Stroll, the second driver, expects “that he won’t be able to drive more than 15 laps before this threshold is reached.”
For the time being, Alonso and Stroll are only allowed to drive their AMR26 in doses. “We will have to severely limit the number of laps we do in the race until we get to the bottom of the vibrations and make improvements,” explained Newey.
Alonso, who made his Formula 1 debut 25 years ago in Melbourne for Minardi, is convinced that Honda will quickly get the situation under control. “I have 100 percent faith that they will solve the problems because they have already done so in the past,” said the 44-year-old.
The Spaniard put the vibrations and the threat of nerve damage into perspective. “If we were fighting for victory, we could last three hours in the car,” said a combative Alonso. “I face the problems,” he emphasized. “This team will win the World Cup – it’s just a matter of time.”
