Steiner tears into Aston Martin: 'Not F1 standards anymore'

Aston Martin’s disastrous 2026 season has sparked plenty of criticism across the Formula 1 paddock, but few have delivered a takedown quite as brutal as Guenther Steiner’s.

The former Haas team principal unleashed a scathing verdict on the Silverstone-based squad following its miserable outing at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, where Aston Martin once again found itself rooted near the back of the field before Fernando Alonso’s late retirement triggered a virtual safety car.

For Steiner, the situation has gone beyond a simple performance slump. In his view, one of Formula 1’s most ambitious projects is rapidly becoming an embarrassment.

Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner did not hesitate when asked to identify the biggest disappointment of the recent race weekend in Spain.

"I think it must be Aston Martin because Aston Martin makes even Cadillac look good, and Cadillac was down three laps at the end of a race,"

The Italian then twisted the knife even further.

"But it made Cadillac look good. What Aston Martin is doing now is just, in my opinion, not acceptable."

From title ambitions to the back of the grid

Not long ago, Aston Martin was talking openly about challenging Formula 1’s established giants. Massive investment, state-of-the-art facilities, a works engine deal and the recruitment of high-profile talent – including F1 design guru Adrian Newey – created expectations that the team would become a genuine contender.

Instead, the 2026 campaign has descended into a nightmare, helped also in large part by Honda’s inability to produce a strong, reliable power unit.

The squad sits 10th in the constructors’ championship with a solitary point, narrowly ahead of newcomer Cadillac. Worse still, the performance gap to the midfield has left Aston Martin looking increasingly isolated at the foot of the standings.

Steiner believes the situation has reached a level that should concern everyone involved.

"It's not F1 standards anymore. It's like having the local guy there. You're dead last, but by a mile and then you don't finish the race as well,” he said.

Those comments represent one of the harshest public assessments Aston Martin has faced during its decline, especially given the team's enormous resources and lofty ambitions.

Lawrence Stroll under the spotlight

As Aston Martin's struggles intensify, attention has naturally shifted toward team owner Lawrence Stroll, whose substantial financial backing has transformed the operation over recent years.

Some have wondered whether Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali could play a role in addressing the team's alarming lack of competitiveness. Steiner quickly dismissed that notion.

"Stefano can't do anything about it. They are there, and they don't perform obviously, and I don't think that Lawrence Stroll is proud of what is happening there,” he explained.

While Steiner sympathized with the frustration likely being felt at the top of the organization, he also pointed out where ultimate responsibility lies.

"But obviously, the buck stops with him. He owns the team, but it's one of these things. Stefano is not entitled to do anything. He has no authority to say when they should come in, when they shouldn't come in, what they are doing, how they are performing.

"In F1, there is no relegation rule in the regulations because in most sports, if you're not performing, guess what? You're relegated."

Plenty of money, few answers

Despite his blistering criticism, Steiner stopped short of accusing Stroll of lacking commitment. In fact, he argued the opposite.

"It's not a lack of trying from Lawrence Stroll," he said.

"I think there are very few people who put this much money of their own into Formula 1 as Lawrence did. But obviously, he cannot get it right."

• Read also: Alonso admits drivers’ parade was ‘best part' of Barcelona weekend

That may be the most damning conclusion of all. Aston Martin’s problem, according to Steiner, is not a shortage of ambition, funding or effort. It is the inability to convert those advantages into results.

With the team languishing near the bottom of the standings and showing few signs of a breakthrough, the pressure is mounting with every passing race.

For a project designed to challenge Formula 1’s elite, simply avoiding last place was never supposed to be the objective. Yet right now, even that battle is proving painfully difficult.

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