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Welcome back to Prime Tire! Today, I’m experiencing a remarkable sense of déjà vu.
A season for a Formula 1 team led by Fernando Alonso and powered by Honda is unraveling just before the start due to significant engine issues. This scenario feels very familiar, and I’ll explore it as we revisit F1’s history.
I’m Alex, and Luke Smith will join us later.
Aston Martin’s 2026 Start Resembles McLaren’s in 2015 … and 2017
While F1 testing can never truly be “won,” it can certainly be lost.
The impressions gained during testing often linger for a season or more, reflecting the challenges in transforming a sluggish F1 car into a competitive one, especially when reliability issues persist. This brings us to today’s feature: Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin.
This year, Aston Martin faced a dismal preseason, arriving late for the first test in Barcelona, where their car only appeared in the waning hours of the penultimate day and broke down after just five laps with Lance Stroll at the wheel.
By the third and final test in Bahrain, both Alonso and Stroll encountered additional reliability problems. Stroll even found himself sent off into the gravel when something malfunctioned with the AMR26’s rear end.
On the concluding day in Bahrain, Aston Martin managed only six laps without setting a time and packed up early.
Next week, Luke will delve into the specifics of the issues plaguing the AMR26, which is supported by the highly regarded Adrian Newey-led team. So far, the main issue appears to be a significant problem with Honda’s latest F1 engine, specifically concerning its battery.
Here’s where it starts to feel eerily similar. Alonso and Honda have faced this before.
- In 2015, they collaborated for the first time at McLaren, which had just ended a longstanding partnership with Mercedes engines, hoping to revive the glory days of the late 80s and early 90s.
- However, on the first day of testing that year, McLaren also completed a mere six laps, marking the onset of a dismal season for all parties involved.
- Alonso was reunited with McLaren after a tumultuous previous season in 2007, where relations soured with teammate Lewis Hamilton and team boss Ron Dennis, also involving his witness role in the “Spygate” controversy.
- His return wasn’t by choice after negotiations with Ferrari fell through, leading to his replacement by Sebastian Vettel.
- The 2015 McLaren-Honda partnership appeared promising initially, but quickly unraveled.
