Aston Martin ‘solution in place’ as Fernando Alonso lifts lid on ‘difficult start’

Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin has “a solution in place” following the team’s “difficult start” to F1 2026 testing.

And the two-time world champion is convinced that there is nothing “impossible to fix” with the AMR26 car.

Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin has ‘a solution in place’

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Aston Martin entered 2026 with high expectations following the arrivals of legendary designer Adrian Newey and new engine partner Honda.

However, the Silverstone-based outfit has had a troubled pre-season with the AMR26 lacking performance and reliability.

Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll claimed during last week’s second test that Aston Martin must find more than “four seconds” of performance to stand a chance of being competitive in the F1 2026 season.

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The team’s troubles continued on the opening day of the final pre-season test in Bahrain on Wednesday, when Alonso was restricted to just 28 laps in the morning session due to an engine-related issue.

Stroll went on to trigger the only red flag of the afternoon session with a strange spin under braking at Turn 11. After a long absence, the Canadian returned to end the day with 26 laps to his name.

Alonso has admitted that “lots of things” must be fixed before the end of winter testing if Aston Martin is to start the new season in competitive shape.

Yet he has insisted that the team can overcome its current woes “before it’s too late” in 2026.

Alonso told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets in Wednesday’s press conference in Bahrain: “Difficult start, no doubt.

“Lots of things to be fixed in the next two-and-a-half days.

“But everyone is working at their 100 per cent capacity, at both factories in the UK and Japan as well, to try to make this period of time as short as possible.”

Asked if the AMR26 is merely suffering from growing pains or whether there is a fundamental flaw with the car’s design, he explained: “I think everything can be fixed, for sure, short and medium term.

“I don’t think there is anything that is impossible to fix, but we need to wait and see.

“We will try to fix everything that we can before Australia and, after that, try to fix as many things as possible in the first couple of races before it’s too late in the championship.

“But no, I’m optimistic. I think there is a solution in place.”

Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher

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