Aston Martin's tough 2026: Newey, Honda and Alonso fighting at the back
The team that hired Adrian Newey has seven points after Singapore, with Newey calling the start disastrous.
Aston Martin went into 2026 with Adrian Newey in charge and a new works partnership with Honda, but the results have not followed. After Singapore the team is tenth of 11 in the constructors' standings with seven points, ahead of only Cadillac, according to RacingNews365.
Newey, who is also team principal, called the start disastrous. GPFans reported in August that the team had scored one point from the first 11 Grand Prix weekends, with both the Newey-designed AMR26 and the Honda power unit underperforming.
There have been small steps. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso reached Q2 for the first time this season after a package of 16 upgrades, GPFans said, with Lance Stroll finishing 13th and Alonso 14th.
Newey's positive is the relationship with Honda. He said the difficult period “has fostered a very close working relationship between Honda and Aston Martin”, and added that performance usually improves when relationships do.
Alonso is the most experienced driver on the grid, and the season finale at Yas Marina on Sunday 6 December is another chance for the team to show the gains it has been promising.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2026Race day Sun 6 Dec · Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: GPFans, RacingNews365
