Alonso forecasts that Aston Martin's competitiveness will come within “a couple of Grands Prix”

Written by Mia Wallace

Fernando Alonso has spoken on Aston Martin’s slow development from the back of the field, and reveals when the team will finally reach competitive status.

Credit: Formula One

The 2026 Chinese Grand Prix is quickly approaching, with only three days until the first sprint weekend of the new regulatory era. Two qualifying sessions, two race sessions, and only one practice session across the entire weekend. While the new regulations have proven challenging across the entire grid, Aston Martin appears to be one of the few backmarker teams set to shoulder the brunt of the demands brought by a fast-paced sprint weekend.

The Silverstone team has had a nightmare start to the 2026 season so far, plagued with chassis issues, engine failures, and vibrations comparable to that of an “electric chair”. Despite early promise from esteemed Formula One designer Adrian Newey, who took up the role of team principal at Aston Martin, the technological development of the AMR26 has proven to be far from reliable. 

At the Australian Grand Prix last weekend, the team spent most of the sessions at the back of the grid, with their times being miles off from the race leaders. Although speed is paramount in F1, Aston Martin knew well ahead of the weekend that reliability would be the top priority, with pace being a hurdle reserved for much later down the line. 

F1 veteran and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso commented on how the situation at Aston Martin has changed since Melbourne, or rather, if it's changed at all. 

“The situation unfortunately didn't change within four or five days since Melbourne, so it will be a difficult weekend.” Alonso said. “We'll limit the laps in one or two sessions as we are short on parts.

“We need laps, to find the window on the chassis side. I'll be happy if we leave China with a more or less normal practice, more or less normal Quali.”

This response comes after a less-than-productive season opener in Melbourne last weekend. Alonso was forced to retire from the race, and although his teammate, Lance Stroll, was able to make it to the chequered flag, he finished the race a number of laps down. 

When asked for an estimate on how long it would take for the team to be competitive again, Alonso was honest in his answer.

"Difficult to guess," he said. 

"We are pushing, we have very talented people in the team, so I hope within a couple of Grands Prix, we can have a normal weekend. To be competitive will take more time. Once we fix the reliability, we will be behind on power and things.

“The development race this season will be as hard-fought as the action on the track, so Aston Martin like all teams need lap time to learn which direction to take their development in.”

Across the grid, the drivers have been far from shy when voicing their disdain for the new regulations and cars. As a long-time racer in the sport, Alonso offered his own seasoned perspective on the trials and tribulations of the new era. 

"Do we enjoy driving these cars? Yes, because we love racing. I do four or five 24-hour races because I love racing and I love driving," Alonso says of the new cars.

"So if you jump into an F1 car, you enjoy going fast. But it is a challenge... A different challenge. I was super lucky to race in [last] era and I feel lucky to race in both."

The first and only free practice of the weekend takes place tomorrow, and Aston Martin will likely be maximising the time to gather as much data as possible. Following free practice, it’ll be full speed ahead as teams race to clock the fastest times for both qualifying and racing sessions. 

If both Aston Martin cars are able to cross the finish line come Sunday, it will be seen as a huge step forward for their program.