The Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin bumped into extra issues with its Honda energy unit in pre-season testing in Bahrain this week. Photograph: AFP
SAKHIR:
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets on the ultimate day of pre-season testing on the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain on Friday whereas Aston Martin’s plans to make an impression within the new Components One season crumbled into chaos.
The brand new Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin automotive is radically totally different to the others on the grid, though all have undergone main adjustments as groups adapt to new laws on chassis and engines.
The attention-catching Aston Martin bumped into issues with its Honda energy unit on Thursday when Fernando Alonso suffered a battery failure.
The group have been additionally in need of spare components and Lance Stroll solely accomplished six laps on Friday – two within the morning and 4 within the afternoon – earlier than Aston Martin known as time on testing two hours earlier than the scheduled shut.
“Total, we’re not proud of our efficiency and our reliability in the mean time,” mentioned Honda’s trackside basic supervisor and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara in a press launch.
“We collected information efficiently; nevertheless, we did not obtain the accrued mileage that we have been focusing on.”
Alonso and Stroll accomplished a complete of simply 128 laps over the three days – the equal of what many groups did in in the future.
“It has been a difficult couple of weeks right here in Bahrain, and in the present day’s restricted working wasn’t the way in which we needed to complete the second take a look at,” mentioned Stroll.
“It is clear the automotive is not the place we would like it to be performance-wise, and we all know there’s quite a lot of work forward within the coming weeks and months.”
Aston Martin additionally missed nearly two full days of final month’s Barcelona shakedown.
“We all know which areas we have to concentrate on and enhance the automotive in, which could be very optimistic,” group ambassador Pedro de la Rosa instructed F1 TV. “The brand new laws are very sophisticated, however they’re additionally fascinating.”
Honda and Newey now have simply two weeks to repair the issues earlier than the groups collect in Melbourne for the opening grand prix of the brand new season.
‘Hiding true type’
With groups nonetheless hiding their full capability and testing totally different elements of their vehicles, the timesheets weren’t a transparent indicator of energy.
Nonetheless, over the course of the shakedown in Barcelona and the 2 classes in Bahrain it appeared the highest 4 groups – McLaren, Ferrari, Crimson Bull and Mercedes – will once more dominate in 2026.
Ferrari’s Leclerc put in 132 laps on Friday and threw the quickest time of 1min 31.992sec, heading world champion Lando Norris in his McLaren and Max Verstappen’s Crimson Bull.
“It is nonetheless obscure the place we actually stand as a result of groups are hiding their true type, so it is essential to not focus an excessive amount of on lap occasions and put together for the primary race,” mentioned Leclerc.
Ferrari group principal Fred Vasseur pronounced himself “pleased” with testing however careworn that it was not simply essential to be prepared for Melbourne.
“The event will probably be so big in the course of the season that crucial (factor) is the capability of the group to develop, the capability of the group to deliver components rapidly, far more than the efficiency at race one,” he mentioned.
“We have to preserve the momentum of the season and to be centered on growth.”
Mercedes have been tipped because the automotive to chase in 2026 though Kimi Antonelli was dropped at a halt on the monitor on Friday by a pneumatic concern.
Despite that the 19-year-old Italian mentioned he was wanting ahead confidently to Australia.
“I really feel good going into the season,” he mentioned. “Rather more ready in comparison with final yr. After all, there’s quite a lot of expectation round us however I believe the opposite high groups are very robust as nicely.”
