May 25, 2025. Monaco Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso is interviewed by DAZN before the race. “What position are you satisfied with today?” The Asturian’s response, unexpected and optimistic, falls like a bomb in the world of Formula 1: “Win in Australia 2026”.
Those statements fueled the enthusiasm of his fans, already euphoric after the arrival of Adrian Newey to Aston Martin and the start of his design work for the following season’s car.
Everything seemed destined for 2026 to be the year. lnew regulations, the signing of the most successful engineer in Formula 1, the incorporation of the Honda engine…Ten months later, the dream has turned into a nightmare. Or, at least, at the beginning of it.
The Australian Grand Prix, the first of the season, has confirmed the debacle that began to appear in preseason, where Fernando and Stroll were barely able to ride. From thinking about winning in Melbourne… to only being able to do 15 laps on the Albert Park circuit.
An unexpected debacle for an exciting project
For some time now, 2026 was marked in red on the calendar by Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin. All the pieces seemed to fit together. Only the most skeptical questioned one of the key elements of the project: the honda engine.
The Asturian’s painful experience with the Japanese manufacturer during his time at McLaren raised doubts. However, the Honda’s recent success with Red Bull It cleared up the ghosts to a certain extent. The optimistic speculations followed one another: “Honda has learned”, “It is impossible for it to happen again”…
After the first race of 2026, the distrustful are showing their chests. They were right… or, at least, for now they are. Lawrence Stroll’s team is experimenting numerous problems with the Japanese brand which, according to Newey, they began to discover in November of last year.
The reality is that Honda’s squad is very different from the one that triumphed with Red Bull and the new regulations seem to have caught them on the wrong foot. Be that as it may, the car is not that it does not meet the expectations of fighting for podiums and victories, but that He is not even able to complete a significant handful of laps.
The award-winning engineer, team principal of Aston Martin, does not hide his frustration. “No, We were not aware that there was a lack of people with F1 experience. We began to realize all this in November of last year. It was when Lawrence Stroll, Andy Cowell and I went to Tokyo to discuss rumors suggesting the power unit would not be ready for the first race. And on top of that, they stated that there were fewer people and that a large part of the team would not return to work. We wouldn’t have signed with them“Newey explained this week.
Some of the car’s problems have bordered on the surreal. Newey himself acknowledged that engine vibrations damaged the batteries and could affect other elements of the car, such as the mirrors. Furthermore, they could impact even on the physical condition of the pilots.
A drama. The situation is complex and it seems that it will take a few months to begin to reverse.
Alonso’s skill as a magic formula
Fernando Alonso does not remain oblivious to the disaster in which his team is mired, but he He continues doing what he does best: magic. The Spaniard once again showed his ability in the starts. He started 17th and placed 10th in the first meters. Even Pau Gasol was amazed. “There are things that never change…”he wrote in his account X.
A fantastic maneuver that did not last long, since the passing of the laps put things back into place. Aston Martin decided to end its adventure on lap 15 to, according to the team, “preserve car components.”
To complete the surrealism, the two-time world champion returned to the track as a test a few laps later, although he ended up returning to the box permanently before the end of the race, closing a disastrous weekend.
Alonso is 44 years old and this seemed like his last chance to win the long-awaited three-time championship. However, the Asturian is a clear example of resilience and, whether his retirement campaign is definitive or not, I’m sure he will fight until the last race of 2026 which has started light years ahead of the expectations generated.
“I have been feeling superior for 24 years and in 25 I feel superior to them again“, he declared after the race when asked about his fantastic start, making it clear that no one has more confidence in his figure than himself.
