Aston Martin is enduring a disastrous start to the 2026 F1 season — and it has just got worse in Melbourne.
Aston Martin has confirmed that Fernando Alonso will not compete in FP1 at the Australian Grand Prix due to a “suspected power unit issue” that will prevent his AMR26 from running. This is part of a dismal start to the campaign, with the new car down on power and unreliable at the start of the team’s new era with Honda. In Melbourne, team principal Adrian Newey expressed concern that vibrations from the power unit could cause “permanent nerve damage” in the hands of Alonso and Stroll. The team is working hard to resolve the issues, but track action will be “very heavily restricted” until then. Alonso is set to lose at least an hour of running time, which is a further setback for Aston Martin. The FP1 session at Albert Park also saw Arvid Lindblad stranded at the pit exit on his debut with Racing Bulls, while both McLaren drivers faced issues with their new 2026 power units.
