The highly anticipated debut of Aston Martin's AMR26 at the Formula 1 Barcelona pre-season test delivered more drama than data, leaving fans and the team alike with mixed emotions. After missing the first three days of testing because the car wasn’t ready, the Silverstone-based team finally took the AMR26 to the track, only for it to cause a red flag within just an hour.
Emerging around 5 pm local time on Thursday, Lance Stroll brought the session to a halt by stopping at the pitlane entry, just before the chequered flag was due to be waved at 6 pm, effectively ending the day's proceedings.
For a car burdened with expectation, the AMR26’s initial performance was minimal. Stroll managed just five laps, with his fastest time of 1m46.404s reportedly some 30 seconds slower than Mercedes’ benchmark pace, severely limiting data gathering for Aston Martin and Honda, who are entering their new partnership as the team’s sole power unit supplier.
The AMR26 is also Aston’s first Adrian Newey-designed challenger and the only Honda-powered car on the grid, meaning the Japanese manufacturer has yet to collect meaningful track data. Last week, Honda leaders expressed concern about the new F1 power unit. “The 2026 regulations are technically extremely challenging, and perhaps we will struggle,” said Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation.
Image: Aston Martin Racing
Tetsushi Kakuda, Honda’s F1 project leader, added: “The electrification side is progressing as planned. However, that is not necessarily the case for the internal combustion engine.”
Aston Martin’s Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack acknowledged the monumental task ahead, telling F1: “We are in a bit of a unique situation. We welcome Honda, our new power unit partner. We have made our first gearbox in very many, many years, and you pair that with new chassis regulations, new power unit regulations… basically you could say it's the worst case or the best case, but it's a huge change for us as a team, to be a works team, a factory team, together with these regulations. Then we have Adrian [Newey] on board, so it's all very exciting and a lot of change.
“Formula 1 is not waiting for you, so you have to be ready. We were now a little bit late, but we made it to this test, so I think we can be proud and happy of that achievement.”
The AMR26’s delayed start and brief track time highlight the challenges Aston Martin faces in preparing for the 2026 season, with the team hoping for a more productive session when Fernando Alonso takes over on Friday’s final day of the Barcelona shakedown.
