Aston Martin’s “horror show” at the start of the 2026 season is unlikely to be fixed quickly, says Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle. Despite huge expectations after signing design chief Adrian Newey and securing a works partnership with Honda, the team have struggled badly under the new regulations.
Through three race weekends, Aston Martin — alongside new entry Cadillac, which was expected to be towards the rear — have yet to score a point. Fernando Alonso’s 18th-place finish in Japan is the only time either car has completed a full Grand Prix so far. At Suzuka, Lance Stroll and Alonso qualified together on the back row, four seconds off the lead; Stroll joked they were competing in “our own Aston Martin championship,” underscoring the severity of the problem.
“That’s painful, isn’t it, really? That’s sort of salt in the wounds, almost,” Brundle said on The F1 Show podcast. “It’s a nightmare, whichever way you look at it, they’ve got neither speed nor reliability. And in the days of relentless Formula 1 championship calendars and cost caps, it’s going to be very difficult to turn that around in the time, and they’ve got to work out what to do first.”
Brundle warned improvements may not come quickly. “They’ve got to get the right people in at Honda, get the right direction. It’s not going to improve until 2027. It’s a horror show, and we’re just going to have to observe that pain. Of course, they will improve it to an extent, but they’re missing three, four seconds sometimes per lap. I mean, that’s like a different category they’re in at the moment to the front runners. So, watch this space, but it’ll be a while.”
Aston Martin and Honda say they’re working to fix immediate issues, notably engine vibration that has caused reliability problems and limited early-season mileage, and battery-related concerns. Honda will also have catch-up opportunities under the 2026 Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) rules, while Newey continues to develop the AMR26 chassis with planned upgrade packages.
David Croft, speaking on the same podcast, described Japan’s race finish as “amazing” for the team but cautioned this is “a long-term project.” He suggested a B-spec car could arrive later in the season — possibly Spa rather than Silverstone — and said the power unit needs extensive work and fine-tuning. “They are going to struggle all season until the chassis can accommodate the power unit, the power unit can stop vibrating so much,” Croft added. “Can I see them scoring a point? Not unless 12 other cars retire at the moment. Getting to the finish was great for them but, as [chief trackside officer] Mike Krack said, it’s hardly a cause for celebration.”
Formula 1 returns May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season’s second Sprint weekend. Aston Martin and Honda will be under close scrutiny as they attempt to address reliability and performance before broader upgrades can take effect.