Aston Martin changes Alonsoâs AMR26
Fernando Alonso will start the Dutch Grand Prix sprint from the pit lane after Aston Martin made set-up changes to his AMR26 at Zandvoort.
The team also confirmed that the unusual straight-line mode problem that affected Alonso during sprint qualifying has been fixed. The issue prevented the two-time Formula 1 driversâ champion from using the carâs low-downforce configuration in the shorter grid-setting session, leaving him at the rear of the field despite a promising performance during the only free practice hour.
The impact was clear in the timing sheets. Alonso was half a second slower than Sergio Perez, who qualified P21, and will now begin the sprint from the pit lane. It was a difficult opening to a significant weekend for Aston Martin and Honda, particularly with the team seeking to build on signs of progress shown before the summer break.
Honda upgrade adds to Aston Martinâs expectations
Honda is in its first year as Aston Martinâs works power unit partner and has brought a significant engine upgrade to the Dutch Grand Prix. The package is expected to help Alonso and Lance Stroll move further up the order and return to competitiveness.
That development arrives after substantial chassis and aerodynamic changes were introduced at the Hungaroring before the Formula 1 summer break. Those updates helped pull Aston Martin into the midfield, with both drivers enjoying a stronger Hungarian Grand Prix than Williamsâ Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.
Aston Martin has brought further AMR26 updates to Zandvoort, making the sprint setback especially frustrating. Stroll qualified P19 for the sprint, while Alonsoâs pit-lane start gives the team a difficult recovery task before the main grand prix.
The bigger picture for the weekend
The immediate priority is to assess whether the corrected straight-line mode and the revised set-up allow Alonso to recover ground during the sprint. With the Honda upgrade and the teamâs recent chassis and aerodynamic progress forming the basis of renewed expectations, Aston Martin will be looking for a clearer indication of its underlying pace in the grand prix portion of the event.
The teamâs Zandvoort programme was already under scrutiny following the qualifying problems. Further detail on the power-unit side of the weekend is available in Hondaâs Aston Martin Spec 2 upgrade explained, but Alonsoâs pit-lane start means the focus now shifts to how quickly Aston Martin can convert its potential into positions.
