Aston Martin F1 chief releases statement after chastening Belgian Grand Prix

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Aston Martin F1 chief releases statement after chastening Belgian Grand Prix

New low in Spa

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Tuesday 21 July 2026 10:54

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Aston Martin have released a statement following one of their worst F1 races of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix.

In Spa, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll lined up at the back of the grid after qualifying having been at least two seconds slower than any other car.

In Sunday's grand prix, it didn't get much better for the team with Alonso finishing 19th and last of the classified runners and the only driver who was lapped twice. Lance Stroll retired early on in the race with a suspected gearbox issue.

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Aston Martin entered 2026 hoping for a chance to nail the new regulations and challenge for race wins, but chassis and engine issues with new suppliers Honda have seen them been one of the slowest teams since the start of the season.

With rivals Cadillac having brought updates in recent races, Aston Martin are now clearly the slowest team having not brought any upgrades to the season thus far.

Aston Martin ready to unleash upgrades

However, this will change at the Hungarian Grand Prix where the hope is that a bulk of new additions from Adrian Newey that have been held back for the last few races can haul the team off the bottom of the grid.

An engine upgrade from Honda is also expected for the first race after the summer break in Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix.

Reflecting on the race at Spa and the upcoming event at the Hungaroring, chief trackside officer Mike Krack offered his assessments.

Krack said: "It was not an easy afternoon and we did not have the pace to compete, so we simply tried to maximise those things in our control – being strong operationally and delivering the best strategy.

"Fernando completed the race in P19, while Lance reported a car issue on Lap 25 and retired.

"The focus now shifts to Budapest and introducing a new package for the AMR26."

Fernando Alonso has endured a tough season with Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso throws Aston Martin challenge

Alonso also looked forward to Aston Martin's new upgrades, insisting every session will be vital before the next grand prix.

He added: "We did our best today, but we knew our limitations this weekend.

"We collected some valuable data for the team and are now focused on Budapest.

"We will need to maximise all of our practice sessions next weekend and learn as much as we can about the new package."

So far in 2026 despite having the slowest car, Aston Martin are placed 10th of the 11 teams in the championship following Alonso's 10th place in Monaco that has picked up the team's only point so far.

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