Fernando Alonso has expressed confidence in the direction Aston Martin F1 Team is taking with its upgrade programme for the 2026 campaign. The two-time world champion, who alongside the Silverstone-based outfit has endured a difficult start to the season, arrived at the
Miami Grand Prix without any new updates to the car since Suzuka. When asked about the situation, Alonso backed Aston Martin’s decision to hold back on incremental upgrades until they can deliver a meaningful step in performance.
“I’m at peace because I understand the situation. The team explained to me that if we bring one or two tenths every race, it doesn’t change our position, we are P20 or P19 and the next car is one second in front,” Alonso said at the Miami Grand Prix.
“So, even if we bring two tenths every race, it doesn’t change our position, and it’s a huge stress in the system, in the budget cap and things like that. Until we don’t have a one and a half or two second improvement, it’s better not to press the button in production because we waste money,” he concluded.
The Aston Martin team have largely been hampered by issues with the power unit, which have translated into persistent vibrations in the AMR26 package. However, at the Florida round, the team managed to address some of these problems, with both Alonso and
Lance Stroll completing the full race distance for the first time this season.
Alonso also flags key Aston Martin weakness
Earlier in the weekend,
Alonso highlighted another major concern with the AMR26 that the team must resolve ahead of the next round in Canada. The 44-year-old pointed to gearbox issues experienced in Miami as a critical area requiring urgent attention.
Alonso explained that managing the gearbox proved particularly challenging during the race, stressing that the demands of the
Canadian Grand Prix make resolving the problem even more important before the next event in Quebec.
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