Former Components 1 driver and F1 pundit Jolyon Palmer has given a damning verdict of Aston Martin’s begin to the 2026 season, claiming they do not speak concerning the Silverstone outfit “as a result of they are not even in rivalry”.
Aston Martin entered the season with Adrian Newey as each group principal and managing technical associate alongside a new energy unit partnership with Honda. Expectations had been excessive for the Lawrence Stroll-owned group, however it shortly bumped into main points – one in all which was intense vibrations.
“On the constructive, we’ve not needed to watch it an excessive amount of as a result of it is not been on observe that a lot,” Palmer mentioned in an F1 season begin debrief video.
“That is the opposite factor. The reliability is so poor. We do not discuss them as a result of they are not even in rivalry. What I do like is Fernando’s race begins as a result of that is the second the place you see there’s nonetheless struggle in him.
“There’s nonetheless the racecraft; it’s going to pop up within the high 10. You have not seen him all weekend. They’ve simply been plumbed in direction of the underside with Cadillac, two of the final three or 4 slots, after which instantly you are like, ‘Hold on, Fernando’s nonetheless racing. He is up within the high 10.’
“So, that is the nice bit. All of the damaging is simply overwhelmingly unhealthy although, is not it? I imply, there is not any different good facet. And the one good facet is one thing that we have recognized already for like 20 years.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Picture by: Alastair Staley / LAT Photos through Getty Photos
F1 commentator Alex Jacques added: “They will solely get higher. That is the fact of it for Aston. That is as near a worst-case state of affairs as I can bear in mind.
“There’s stats flying round that they are additional again with Alonso’s deficit to pole place than they had been within the McLaren-Honda period. So, we thought that was a really, very uncommon nightmare collaboration between these two.”
After the primary three rounds of the season, Aston Martin sits final within the constructors’ standings with zero factors.
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