Adrian Newey in front of the Australian flag — Photo: © IMAGO

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Aston Martin to 'skip' F1 Australian Grand Prix? FIA safety concerns swirl in Melbourne

These are the wildest of times for Adrian and Newey and co in Melbourne

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Accredited motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 5 March 2026 19:53 Updated: 20:50

As safety concerns continue to plague Aston Martin's F1 challenger, one massive question has emerged - could they really be forced to skip the Australian Grand Prix?

Aston Martin's 2026 dreams quickly spiralled into a nightmare during pre-season testing, where they realised not only just how far off the pace they were, but also there were fundamental reliability issues with their AMR26.

On the Thursday of week two in Bahrain, the Honda engine suffered a battery issue and their lack of parts forced them to leave testing early on Friday with the least mileage of any team.

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But things have gone from bad to worse now, with team principal Adrian Newey revealing the extent of their issues at Albert Park.

Newey stated that a 'vibration into the chassis' was causing reliability problems, with Aston Martin arriving in Australia and already considering a limited run plan for Sunday's 58-lap race.

He explained: "But the much more significant problem is that the vibration is transmitted ultimately into the driver's fingers.

"So Fernando [Alonso] is of the feeling that he can't do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage to his hands.

"Lance [Stroll] is of the opinion that he can't do more than 15 laps before that threshold."

F1 HEADLINES: Newey to face the music as FIA announce Australian Grand Prix U-turn

Will the FIA have to step in with Aston Martin safety concern?

According to a report from Motorsport Italia, they cite sources in the paddock who claim that Aston Martin are considering skipping race weekends.

Aston Martin have not officially confirmed this will be the case, but if these reports are proven true then the team will face a major barrier in the shape of the Concorde Agreement.

The Concorde Agreement is a contract signed between F1, the FIA and all 11 teams, fundamentally ensuring the commitment of all parties to continue growing and developing the sport.

If Aston Martin skipped multiple race weekends it would be a breach of their contractual obligations, but an issue could be raised on safety grounds.

Speaking to the media in Melbourne, Alonso downplayed the pain and said: "If we were fighting for the win, we can do three hours in the car, let's be clear. But definitely it is something that is unusual. It shouldn't be there.

"We don't know the consequences either if we keep driving like that for months. So a solution has to be implemented."

FIA Aston Martin Adrian Newey Fernando Alonso Australian Grand Prix Lance Stroll