Fernando Alonso Points to McLaren Model for Aston Martin 2026 Revival

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Fernando Alonso believes Aston Martin can draw inspiration from McLaren’s 2023 turnaround as the Silverstone-based team faces a difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Aston Martin’s AMR26 missed the majority of the Barcelona shakedown before completing just 61 laps on the final day. Reliability concerns continued during the first official Bahrain pre-season test overseen by the FIA, where the team managed only 203 laps — 67 fewer than nearest rival Mercedes. Alonso drove exclusively on Day 2, completing 98 laps, bringing his combined tally across two of the three tests to 159 laps.

By contrast, Oscar Piastri completed 153 laps alone on the final day in Bahrain, while McLaren’s two drivers each logged 207 laps — four more than Aston Martin’s entire total. The disparity underlined the operational deficit facing the British squad heading into the season opener.

Despite expectations that Aston Martin may begin the campaign on the back foot, Alonso referenced McLaren’s 2023 recovery as proof of what is achievable under new regulations. That season, the MCL60 was launched with a floor-related performance issue, prompting structural technical changes and a major upgrade programme that reshaped the team’s competitiveness in the second half of the year.

“I don’t know who is in front now and who is behind, but to be honest, the top teams will always have a little bit of an advantage because they are running and their systems are smooth,” Alonso explained.

“The smaller teams need to grow step by step, so I think the new regulations always offer the opportunity to have a surprise.”

“I don’t know who is going to be the surprise, but maybe one of the top teams will not be as fast as we think, and some midfield teams will be a little bit faster than we think.”

“In our case, even if we start slow, we can get better, and let’s see.”

Alonso pointed to McLaren’s 2023 Bahrain season opener — where the team was lapped — before emerging as a consistent podium and pole contender later in the campaign. For Aston Martin, the 2026 regulatory reset may similarly offer scope for mid-season development gains, provided early reliability and system integration challenges are resolved before competitive racing begins.