‘No point in hiding’: Aston Martin faces its F1 crisis head-on

The mood around Aston Martin may appear heavy from the outside, but within its Silverstone headquarters, there is no sense of panic – only realism, patience, and a determination to improve.

That is the message from team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa, who has offered a candid assessment of a season that has so far failed to meet expectations, while insisting the foundations for recovery are already being laid.

Three races into F1’s 2026 campaign, Aston Martin’s results have painted a bleak picture. Just one classified finish between its drivers – Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll – has underlined the scale of the challenge.

That lone result came in Suzuka, where Alonso crossed the line 18th, a lap behind race winner Kimi Antonelli. For de la Rosa, the disappointment is undeniable – but so too is the sense of unity within the team.

“I think we’ve kept calm and united,” the former Grand Prix driver told Speedcafe.

“Obviously working on a very difficult scenario. Because firstly we were not expecting to be where we are right now. We were expecting to be a lot more competitive. So therefore it has been difficult to accept.”

Compounding the situation has been a persistent vibration issue linked to the Honda power unit, which has not only hindered performance but physically impacted the drivers. Alonso’s loss of sensation during the Chinese Grand Prix served as a stark illustration of the problem’s severity.

Quiet progress behind the scenes

The disparity between the stopwatch and the factory data is where de la Rosa finds his optimism. While the timesheets suggests stagnation, the technical reports tell a story of incremental mitigation.

The team has been locked in a battle against the "harmonic ghosts" of the Honda engine since the Barcelona tests, and de la Rosa claims the progress is tangible for those behind the wheel.

“We have improved. It’s difficult to talk about improvements from when you see it from the outside,” he explains. “But actually there’s a lot of work that behind the scenes that is actually taking place as we speak. It’s been encouraging the response from the whole team really to stay patient and united.”

The Spaniard points to a massive reduction in the vibration issues that plagued them in February.

“The vibration issues, we have been mitigating them. Massively since the Barcelona test,” he said.

“So every time that the drivers jump into the car, we have improved on that. And then there is also the development on the car, which we brought an aero package in Australia. And that made the car a lot faster.

“We’re just developing the car like we should at a very good pace. We haven’t changed our approach because of the vibration problems.”

Leadership in the eye of the storm

Central to Aston’s recovery is the presence of Adrian Newey. Despite rumors of a shift in his role, de la Rosa describes the legendary British designer as the unifying force keeping 1,200 employees focused on the solution rather than the setback.

“The beauty about Adrian is that he can say the things that others can only think, but he can also make the things that others can only think,” de la Rosa explained.

“He’s the person that leads by example. Listens to everyone, especially to the drivers. And then comes up with solutions. We all know what the problems can be in a race car at one point.

“Those engineers that actually come up with the solutions are the ones that make the car faster and win championships. And Adrian is one of them definitely. So he’s an inspiration. He’s a true leader.”

The cancellation of early-season races has been a double-edged sword. While it provides more time at the factory, de la Rosa would prefer the trial-by-fire of the circuit.

“I am of the opinion that the best way to develop a race car is racing,” he admitted.

“So I see it as something that it isn’t good for our case in the sense that we are trying to learn as much as we can of with the new regulations. We are behind schedule. We have completed a lot less laps, race laps, and test laps, during these first two races.”

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“Winning is always special in Formula 1. When you’re a long time Formula 1 team you realise how difficult it is actually to win,” de la Rosa concluded.

“And you appreciate more the effort that you need to make to be competitive. When you actually manage to get a huge workforce of over 1200 people aligned, working well as a team united, and you managed to succeed. There’s nothing like it.”

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