Aston Martin reliability improves, but Alonso flags ‘weird’ gearbox issue

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin finally saw both cars reach the chequered flag for the first time this season at the Miami Grand Prix, but the result – P15 for Alonso and P17 for Lance Stroll – offered little to celebrate. The team’s performance struggles remain, and a new issue has quickly replaced the old one.

Why it matters:

Aston Martin has been plagued by reliability problems early in the season, most notably vibrations from the Honda power unit. While that appears resolved, a new gearbox-related glitch emerged over the Miami weekend, threatening to undermine any progress. With no upgrades planned until after the summer break, the team faces a monotonous grind of races where performance is stagnant.

The details:

• Reliability step forward: Both cars finished for the first time in 2026, marking an improvement in engine durability after earlier vibration issues.
• New problem surfaces: Alonso described the gearbox behavior as “very weird” on both downshifts and upshifts, citing electronics and control issues. The problem persisted throughout the weekend.
• Strategy gamble: Alonso ran a long first stint hoping for rain, but admitted it was a necessity because the car is simply too slow to compete on pace.
• No upgrades in sight: Alonso confirmed the team will not bring any performance upgrades until after the summer break, meaning the current pace is likely to remain unchanged for several races.

What's next:

The next race in Canada features heavy braking zones that could expose the gearbox weakness. Alonso is bracing for a repetitive and frustrating period, but remains committed to improving the car’s drivability for a stronger second half of the season.