Fernando Alonso gets new F1 role with Aston Martin 'an all-time flop' in 2026

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso gets new role with Aston Martin 'an all-time F1 flop' in 2026

Alonso is doing very little racing in the AMR26

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 6 April 2026 19:41

Fernando Alonso's role as an F1 driver has shifted in 2026 as Aston Martin's challenger has been described as an 'all-time flop'.

Aston Martin and Honda are now at the point where they are celebrating finishing an entire grand prix distance, after vibrations from the power unit have made it unstainable for Alonso or Lance Stroll to complete a full race.

There are no quick fixes to Aston Martin's woes and their drivers will have to employ saint-like patience as they wait for Adrian Newey's project to fully come good...but that could take years.

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Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, host Tom Clarkson, F1 pundits and former racing drivers Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe did a deep dive on Aston Martin, and Hinchcliffe expressed just how long their revival will take.

The pundit and ex-IndyCar racer said: "This is absolutely a long-long programme, this is not going to happen quickly. This is not going to be easy. This is not going to be fun. But I think those in the team who stick it out and keep the morale high and keep the mentality in the right place, hopefully in two-three years will be rewarded. Because all the pieces are all there, but it’s just not come together.”

Co-star Palmer also agreed that Aston Martin's journey will be a long one, branding their 2026 car an 'all-time flop', adding that Alonso has effectively become nothing more than a test driver this season.

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Alonso's a test driver and Aston Martin are just driving around in circles

Palmer opened the conversation about Aston Martin by comparing Alonso at present to his outbursts during his McLaren-Honda 'GP2 engine' days.

He explained: "I’ve seen a different side of Fernando here, the patience game. Thinking ‘it’s not right, but what are we going to do about it?' It’s a calm side."

"And things are bad. It’s one of the all-time flops that we’re watching right now. Aston Martin can only finish a race if they’re running really down on power, to try and get some level of drivability and reliability out of it. And they can just get one car to the end after three grands prix. It’s terrible."

Palmer then later compared Alonso to a test driver, and said: "We’re into 2002 Fernando here, aren’t we? He’s a test driver. For the first time in 25 years he’s a Formula 1 test driver and that’s all Aston Martin are doing. It’s just such a crying shame that they are not even competitive, they finished behind a Cadillac."

“There’s nothing to play for, for him or Lance. Every weekend they turn up, they drive around in circles, they’ll report a balance, it doesn’t even really matter at this stage. The car’s down on downforce. But it can’t even get to the end of the race, it can’t get near a Q2.

"And then so much of the job is clearly on Honda’s side and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a quick fix. Before Japan they didn’t know what was causing the vibrations still."

Will ADUO help Aston Martin and Honda?

Honda are likely to benefit from the FIA's lifeline for power unit manufacturers, Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO), which allows for additional upgrades every six races in the season.

Aston Martin and Honda are likely to receive ADUO, with a manufacturer qualifying for one additional upgrade if their ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) Performance Index is at least two per cent but less than four per cent below the best-performing ICE.

A manufacturer can receive two upgrades this season if their ICE Performance Index is at least four per cent below the best-performing ICE.

However, Palmer believes that the ADUO won't act as a magic wand and instantly fix Aston Martin's issues, and argued that deeper exploration needs to happen back at Sakura.

He continued: "So ADUO or not, Honda have got to understand exactly what is going on before they can even think about bringing performance upgrades and genuine fixes."

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

F1 Aston Martin Fernando Alonso Honda