Fernando Alonso breaks silence after Aston Martin AMR26 debut

Fernando Alonso has admitted that Aston Martin has “a lot of work still to do” before the start of the F1 2026 season after his first taste of the Adrian Newey-designed AMR26 car on Friday.

Aston Martin was a late arrival to this week’s shakedown in Barcelona with the team taking to the track for the first time on the penultimate day of running.

Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin has ‘a lot of work still to do’

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Lance Stroll carried out five laps in the final hour on Thursday before handing over driving duties to teammate Alonso on Friday.

Alonso completed a total of 49 laps on the final day of the testing, setting a fastest lap time of 1:20.795 – 4.447 seconds adrift of the pace-setting Ferrari over Lewis Hamilton.

Only Valtteri Bottas, the Cadillac F1 driver, lapped slower than Alonso on the final day of the Barcelona test.

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Alonso’s debut behind the wheel of the AMR26 saw him drive a car designed by Newey, the legendary F1 tech guru and newly appointed Aston Martin team principal, for the first time.

Alonso declared himself satisfied with his mileage on the final day of testing, yet conceded that the team must make considerable strides before the opening race of the season in Australia on March 8.

In a statement issued to PlanetF1.com by Aston Martin, Alonso said: “It’s always a special moment driving a new car for the first time, especially at the start of a new regulation cycle.

“Over the years I’ve experienced many changes in Formula 1 and you quickly get a sense of the direction the car is taking.

“We completed a solid programme with strong mileage, which is the main priority at this stage.

“It’s still very early days and we have a lot of work still to do before we head to Melbourne in March.”

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