JUNE 16, 2026

Newey strategy weighing on Aston Martin morale

Aston Martin admits its disastrous start to the 2026 season is beginning to take a visible toll throughout the team.

With Fernando Alonso's future the subject of fresh speculation amid links to Alpine and his long-time manager Flavio Briatore, Aston Martin-Honda remains rooted to the back of the field while waiting for a major upgrade package backed by Adrian Newey.

Trackside chief Mike Krack says the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

This is starting to weigh on the whole team, he told AS newspaper. "You can see it, you feel it in the garage, and especially on the drivers.

It's a very difficult situation.

The team has largely resisted introducing smaller upgrades, instead following a strategy understood to have been pushed by team boss Newey - largely absent from the grands prix in 2026 - to focus resources on a major package later in the season.

But at the same time, we have a strong leader, and the decision to bring upgrades later was made, Krack said.

We're all committed to that decision, even though it's difficult. And our job is to keep our motivation high and learn as much as possible.

The scale of Aston Martin's struggles was highlighted again in Barcelona, where Alonso qualified last and then retired with a battery failure.

It might sound crazy, but when you're three or four seconds off the pace, it feels like you're competing in a different league, Krack admitted.

But you still learn a lot.

The Luxembourger cautioned that even the long-awaited upgrade package will not solve everything.

"It would be difficult to say we're going around in circles waiting for upgrades, but some of the problems we have will still be there when the upgrades arrive.

Handling, gear changes, how the entire transmission reacts, power delivery. All the problems we're dealing with in these areas aren't going to be solved by adding a little more power or a little more downforce.

Krack acknowledged the frustration of disappointing Aston Martin's fanbase, particularly at Alonso's home race - which was potentially the 44-year-old's last grand prix in Barcelona.

We expected a weekend like this, but I'm truly sorry for the fans, Krack said.

We saw many wearing green shirts, and these are people who bought very expensive tickets to see their heroes.

Krack again pointed to the team's long-term plan.

Despite the growing rumours linking Alonso with Alpine, AS newspaper reported that sources close to the situation see no concrete signs that the Spaniard is preparing to leave Aston Martin.

However, correspondent Jesus Balseiro noted that Briatore's repeated visits to the Aston Martin hospitality area in full view of the cameras throughout the Barcelona weekend did little to calm the speculation.

And rather than being an obvious option, it could perhaps be interpreted as a wake-up call for an ambitious project, led by a genius, that urgently needs a change in direction, he said.

It's no secret that Aston Martin needs Fernando more than he needs Aston Martin.

(GMM)