Aston Martin were off to one of their worst starts to the season this year. However, they seem to have a plan to bounce back into the midfield battle. Ever since the team debuted the AMR26 during pre-season testing, it was instantly known that Aston Martin had failed to build a competitive car.
What was even more surprising was the fact that the team did not bring any upgrades to the car until the Hungarian Grand Prix right before the summer break. With the summer break ending, Honda and Aston Martin seem to be working together to get themselves back into the top 10.
Aston Martin and Honda bring major AMR26 updates for Zandvoort
With the Dutch GP in Zandvoort, we are officially into the 2nd half of the season. If Aston Martin hope to find their footing, its now or never. In response, Honda are bringing a updated power unit which is supposed to derive more power from the internal combustion unit in addition to minor improvements in the hybrid component. The Japanese manufacturers believe that this update, along with the AMR26 updates that Aston Martin are bringing, will help the team get back into the midfield battle for points. Here's what Honda had to say in their ↗︎Dutch GP preview:
"Combining the more competitive AMR26 with the Honda Spec 2 power unit is expected to create a synergistic effect, giving the team the performance to join the midfield battle and compete for points."
2026 Constructors’ Standings
Full table →| # | Constructor | Wins | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MercedesMER | 8 | 379 |
| 2 | FerrariFER | 2 | 307 |
| 3 | McLarenMCL | 1 | 220 |
| 4 | Red Bull RacingRAC | 0 | 177 |
| 5 | Racing BullsBUL | 0 | 66 |
| 6 | AlpineALP | 0 | 61 |
| 7 | HaasHAA | 0 | 21 |
| 8 | AudiAUD | 0 | 12 |
| 9 | WilliamsWIL | 0 | 11 |
| 10 | Aston MartinMAR | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | CadillacCAD | 0 | 0 |
When Aston Martin brought their updates for the Hungarian GP, it was clear that they were heading into the right direction. so we can expect these new Zandvoort updates to be in the same direction. The only question is whether it is too little, too late. As it stands, the team are placed in 10th with just a single point to their name. Leading the midfield battle is Racing Bulls with 66 points. Realistically, it does not seem realistic for Aston Martin to catch up to Racing Bull unless they are finding themselves in the top 5 consistently.
A more realistic goal for the British team is to finish 7th by the end of the season. This would be a good point to end the season as they prepare for 2027.
Will Aston Martin retain the services of Fernando Alonso for 2027?
With Fernando Alonso's contract expiring at the end of the 2026 season, the team needs to finalize their lineup for next season. The team's technical partner, Adrian Newey has stated that he is confident that Alonso will be with the team next year. However, the Spaniard has still not made a decision whether he wants to race in Formula 1 next year or not.
Alonso has stated that he will be making a decision sometime after the summer break. So we can expect some news from Alonso's camp in the next few weeks. One of the biggest factors that Alonso will be considering is the 2026 regulations. This year, the FIA rolled out the latest regulation changes, including drastic changes to the power unit. Most of the drivers on the grid have publicly stated that the power units are making the car less reliable and not fun to drive.
So even if Aston Martin are able to bounce back from the horrible start of the season, Alonso could still choose to retire from the sport. If this happens, it has been speculated that the team will be pursuing Carlos Sainz Jr. to drive alongside Lance Stroll for the 2027 season.
