F1 News Today: Aston Martin set for grim future as champion makes brutal ‘never good enough’ claim

verstappen, alonso, aston martin, red bull — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News Today

F1 News Today: Aston Martin set for grim future as champion makes brutal ‘never good enough’ claim

All the latest news from the world of F1

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 23 February 2026 06:58

Honda have shared their emphatic response to Aston Martin's F1 testing woes, and the bottom line? They're not happy.

The team struggled hugely during pre-season testing, and were the outfit who completed the fewest laps, with their new Honda power unit clearly struggling for reliability.

And now Honda have released a statement that may not be good news for Aston Martin's 2026 season.

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'Never good enough': Max Verstappen shares father's brutal advice

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has shared the shocking advice his father Jos Verstappen gave that has kept the Red Bull star hungry to excel throughout his racing career.

Even after picking up four drivers' titles in F1 with Red Bull, Verstappen is still searching for ways to improve through the fine margins as one of the sport's top talents.

He's now revealed where it is that he's got that drive to improve from, revealing some pretty brutal words from his father.

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Aston Martin's awful 2026 'surprise' leaves F1 rivals laughing

Aston Martin's performance at the F1 2026 pre-season testing was laughable, but don't take it from us, take it from one of their rivals.

The team endured a nightmare couple of weeks in Bahrain, with Lance Stroll claiming they were 'four seconds off the pace of the top team' during the first week, before their troubles with power unit partner Honda were fully exposed in the second week.

As a result, Aston Martin have been the talk of the paddock this month but for all the wrong reasons, something which is not lost on one of their rivals who may be thankful the attention has shifted away from their team.

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Lewis Hamilton howler disturbs Ferrari F1 harmony

While Ferrari's F1 2026 preparations appear to be going well, there is one problem on Lewis Hamilton's side that the Scuderia have caused that threatens to disrupt their good vibes.

Hamilton's lightning fast practice start during Bahrain pre-season testing, coupled with Charles Leclerc's blistering lap time on the final day of testing, has ensured that Ferrari are entering the 2026 season full of positivity.

But former F1 driver Ivan Capelli has said there is something that will be bugging Hamilton before the season, and might just disrupt what he described as a 'calm' feel within the team thanks to their 'harmonious' car design.

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‘I’m still fit enough': Sebastian Vettel opens door to F1 return

Sebastian Vettel has left the door ajar for an F1 return after delivering a surprising admission about his capabilities to get back into racing.

At the age of 38, Vettel is by no means past a return to racing, with colleagues Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso racing well into their 40s, and the German icon has recently addressed his chances of returning to an F1 car.

He's suggested that he may one day participate in 'one last drive'.

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