Pedro de la Rosa praised Aston Martin’s stance in the face of the difficulties the team has faced so far in the 2026 Formula 1 season. The former driver of the category and current ambassador of the British team stated that no member lost motivation, even with results well below expectations.
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Aston Martin went from a midfield battle position last year to the back of the grid and championship standings in 2026, amid the switch to the category’s new electrified regulations implemented this year. The late development of the AMR26, acknowledged by Adrian Newey, and the problems faced by Honda increased the project’s difficulties.
In the first part of the current season, the Japanese manufacturer’s power unit showed a significant performance disadvantage and also caused strong vibrations in the car. The problem even caused Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll to retire from races to avoid nerve damage in their hands.
Despite this scenario, the team continued working and began to show signs of progress after updates to the car and engine. Aston Martin reached Q2 in Hungary and Alonso finished in the points in the Netherlands, results that came after the initial period of greater difficulties.
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Speaking to Motorsport Week, De la Rosa explained that the team was aware of the updates being prepared, something that helped maintain internal confidence: “It is the merit of everyone on the team that they kept their heads down, working hard and having faith and confidence that we would be able to reverse the situation,” he said.
The Spaniard highlighted that the results seen externally do not show the whole scenario known by the staff: “When you are on the outside, you only see the results, but inside the team, you understand why you are where you are and what is coming, what the team is working on,” he added.
De la Rosa continued, saying that the available structure also helped keep the group united: “There was not a single member of this team who felt demotivated at any time during the first half of the season,” concluded the former Formula 1 driver.
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