Fernando Alonso just dropped a bombshell about Aston Martin’s 2026 season that has fans buzzing. Despite unveiling a massive 16-upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the two-time champion says the team is playing a serious game of catch-up.
Aston Martin has struggled all season, scoring just one point in 11 race weekends. Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll have often found themselves stuck at the back of the grid, battling reliability woes and a lack of speed. Best-case scenario?
Finishing ahead of the Cadillacs.
But the Hungarian GP brought hope. The upgrades, overseen by design legend Adrian Newey, finally allowed Alonso to escape Q1 for the first time this year. Both drivers finished 13th and 14th in the race, a small but noticeable step forward.
However, Alonso isn’t celebrating just yet. In a candid interview with Spanish outlet AS, he admitted the team is “six months behind” their midfield rivals. He explained that until now, they didn’t even know how far behind they were because the deficit was so massive in both chassis and engine performance.
Now, with the upgrades working on track, Aston Martin finally understands its problems. Alonso says the new direction is clearly better, but everyone else has been using it since January. “We’re starting in July,” he said, and now the real race is off the track.
More upgrades are on the way for the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix, and Honda will bring fresh power unit updates after the summer break. Team principal Adrian Newey confirmed the development push isn’t slowing down.
Alonso remains cautious but optimistic: “Now we know exactly what needs to be done.” The question is whether six months of lost time can ever be made up. Will Aston Martin claw its way back into the midfield pack before the season ends?
