Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa has dismissed suggestions that the team’s troubled pre-season preparations for Formula 1 2026 can be attributed to Adrian Newey’s late arrival, insisting that internal accountability is more important than external excuses.
The Silverstone-based outfit completed just 394 laps across the entire test programme, with running of the Newey-designed AMR26 significantly restricted by issues linked to the Honda power unit. Honda identified vibration-related damage to the battery system, with corrective measures scheduled ahead of the opening rounds.
In addition to reliability setbacks, Aston Martin began its 2026 development phase later than its rivals. Adrian Newey joined the team after his gardening leave from Red Bull Racing concluded in spring 2025, subsequently initiating a redesign of the existing project. Meanwhile, the other 10 teams on the grid commenced 2026 car development from January 1, 2025, without undergoing a comparable senior technical transition.
Despite these structural disadvantages, de la Rosa argued that focusing on timing or historical context would be counterproductive.
“Looking back is always easy, but ‘we should have’ or ‘we shouldn’t have’ doesn’t work in motorsport,” de la Rosa told media, including RacingNews365.
“If we had started earlier, if Adrian had been here not from March 2nd but a few months earlier, if Honda had not withdrawn and then come back — these are all ifs and buts.
“The bottom line is that we are slow. We are not where we want to be; so let’s get a plan together.
“We know exactly what is wrong, and so let’s look ahead and not look back.
“It is very easy to blame the fact that we started late; there were many reasons.
“The important thing is that we know what they are, and that gives us confidence that slowly, gradually, the difference will show.”
With sweeping 2026 regulations reshaping both chassis and power unit integration, Aston Martin now faces a critical recovery phase. The team’s ability to stabilise reliability, optimise the Honda package and fully integrate Newey’s technical philosophy will determine whether its early setbacks prove temporary or symptomatic of deeper structural challenges in the new era.
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