The first half of the 2026 Formula 1® season has proven to be an uphill battle for Aston Martin, with the team currently sitting second to last in the Constructors' Championship. Struggling to extract performance from the AMR26, the Silverstone-based outfit has faced persistent reliability and chassis issues since pre-season testing.
On track, Fernando Alonso has maintained the upper hand over teammate Lance Stroll across both single-lap and race conditions. The Spaniard leads their qualifying duel 9–2 and holds a 6–2 advantage on race days, including securing the team's only Q2 appearance of the campaign.
The team's highest finishing position came at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Alonso secured a hard-fought tenth place to score Aston Martin's sole point of the season. An aggressive strategy combined with execution on the narrow street circuit provided a rare bright spot during a grueling opening stretch.
Despite that scoring drive, the true turning point occurred at the final race before the summer break in Hungary. Managing Technical Partner and Team Principal Adrian Newey opted to deploy a massive, single-package aerodynamic update that immediately allowed both drivers to race their midfield rivals on merit.
The progress in Budapest stood in stark contrast to the team's lowest point before the season had even begun. After arriving late to the Barcelona Shakedown, chronic car vibrations and power unit gremlins severely limited their running in Bahrain, putting the squad on the back foot from Round 1.
With a new power unit specification scheduled to debut at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, the engineering group is optimistic about unlocking further potential from the car. Alonso noted that the team finally has a workable baseline, setting up what the squad hopes will be a far more competitive second half of the championship.