De la Rosa Defends Newey as Aston Martin's 2026 Crisis Deepens

Aston Martin sits second from last in the 2026 Formula 1 constructors' standings after seven rounds, with just one point to its name and only Cadillac keeping it off the bottom. Despite massive pre-season hype around Adrian Newey's arrival and the team's new Silverstone facilities, the AMR26 has proven to be one of the slowest cars on the grid, prompting Fernando Alonso to declare the team has "the worst car and the worst engine" following a last-place qualifying in Barcelona.

Why it matters:

This was meant to be the start of a new chapter. Aston Martin invested heavily in infrastructure and high-profile hires to challenge at the front, but the collapse puts intense scrutiny on both Honda's power unit and Newey's technical leadership. With so much capital and reputation on the line, the team cannot afford to linger in the cellar if it wants to justify its ambitious long-term project.

The details:

• Alonso's harsh assessment reflects mounting frustration after qualifying last in Spain, with the two-time champion stating the results are no surprise given the car's fundamental deficiencies.
• Team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa defended Newey, praising his relentless work ethic and unmatched ability to convert driver feedback into engineering solutions.
• De la Rosa recalled their McLaren days in 2005, when Newey solved a Turn 1 understeer problem by correlating steering input with wind tunnel yaw limits, then returned the next race with a revised front wing that cured the issue.
• Instead of following the grid's trend of constant small upgrades, Aston Martin is pooling resources for a major package debuting at Spa while Honda works on power unit improvements.

What's next:

The Belgian Grand Prix represents Aston Martin's best hope for a reset this season. If the Spa upgrade unlocks genuine pace, the team could claw its way back toward the midfield, but escaping the current hole will require both chassis and engine gains in a campaign that is quickly becoming a damage-limitation exercise.