Alonso responds after Stroll claims Aston Martin ‘needs four seconds of performance’
Lance Stroll says Aston Martin needs four seconds of performance, and Fernando Alonso sees where he is coming from
Fernando Alonso sees the trend which Lance Stroll was referring to when he claimed that Aston Martin needs to unlock four seconds of performance from the AMR26.
However, Alonso argued that there are big margins to be found out on track as the drivers get to grips with a vastly different cars in F1 2026. While Aston Martin enters the season on the “back foot” as the Australian Grand Prix moves closer into view.
Aston Martin ‘can unlock seconds’ when get something right
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There is a huge amount of attention on Aston Martin going into this new era of Formula 1. With F1 design icon Adrian Newey leading its charge, and Honda on board as new works engine partner, Aston Martin is a team with all the tools for future championship challenges, when its new factory and windtunnel are also thrown into the mix.
But, as Aston Martin’s former strategy chief Bernie Collins previously alluded to, this first season could present challenges as all the puzzle pieces fit into place.
On the track, Aston Martin has not been setting the timing screens alight in Bahrain testing. That followed a delayed arrival in Barcelona, where only 54 laps were completed.
Following the opening day of Bahrain testing, with only 36 laps completed for Stroll, the Canadian claimed that Aston Martin “need to try and find four seconds of performance.
“I don’t think it falls from the sky.”
Alonso, in conversation with PlanetF1.com and others, was asked about Stroll’s comments.
Stroll ended the first day on a 1:39.883 personal best. He had improved to a 1:38.165 by the end of the third and final day.
Alonso, meanwhile, peaked at a 1:38.248 on day two.
“Difficult to know,” said Alonso when asked how far behind Aston Martin really is.
“I think Lance said that because in Barcelona, we were four-and-a-half [seconds off], and in the first two days [of Bahrain testing], we were like four-and-a-half or five. So it seemed like a trend in the last three days.
“But I don’t know. I did a lap yesterday that I went off in Turn 4, and then from that point to the finish line I improved eight tenths. So it’s just to give you the number of errors that there are in every lap we are doing now.
“There are laps that we are eight tenths up and down by changing one setting.
“So it’s not that we need to find two tenths. When we optimise, maybe we unlock seconds.
“So let’s hope next week we have a better picture. As I said, we are realistic. We will not be the fastest in Melbourne. We started on the slow side and on the back foot, but difficult to guess exactly where.”
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Aston Martin, and its 10 F1 2026 rivals, all have three more days of testing in Bahrain to make use of before the season begins in Australia.
Alonso says such time is precious for Aston Martin.
Alonso was told that he had, at one stage in Bahrain test one, been locking up over three to four laps, including a huge one.
He was asked whether that is an accurate snapshot of the challenges which he is facing in the car.
“Yes and no.
“I think it is one of them, but we cannot forget that for us, it’s the very first time we are building the gearbox in the history of the team. The very first time.
“It is a challenge, and we need to get better. We need to have more info. The very first time, as I said, we build the gearbox, we build the differential, the clutch, these kind of thing.
“So when we run there, and maybe some of the downshifts are a little bit harsh or whatever, we come back, we change a couple of settings, we test again.
“We used to have a Mercedes engine and gearbox with all the settings done, and for us now it’s all new. So I think it’s needed, the time that we are having now, to improve this.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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