9 May 2026motorsportCommentary

Steiner: Aston Martin Has 'No Excuse' for Disastrous Start to 2026 Season

Guenther Steiner says Aston Martin's massive resources, including Adrian Newey and Honda, mean there is no excuse for its last-place start with zero points after four rounds of the 2026 F1 season.

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has declared that Aston Martin has "no excuse" for its disastrous start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. Despite a massive investment from owner Lawrence Stroll, a new Honda power unit, and the signing of design legend Adrian Newey, the Silverstone team sits last in the constructors' championship with zero points after four rounds.

Why it matters:

Aston Martin was widely expected to challenge for podiums after assembling one of the most impressive rosters in the paddock. Instead, it has become the cautionary tale of the 2026 regulation era, showing that big budgets and top talent don't guarantee instant success.

The details:

Steiner, speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, pointed to Aston Martin's state-of-the-art headquarters, new wind tunnel, and high-profile hires like Newey as reasons the team should be performing better.
"They've got everything in place. They've got the people, they've got the facility, they've got the money. So, there is no excuse for them to be in this position," Steiner said.
The team chose not to bring performance upgrades to the Miami Grand Prix, instead focusing on reliability issues. Both cars finished the race for the first time this season, but still scored no points.
Fernando Alonso admitted before Miami: "We don't have performance upgrades yet. So hopefully we can feel less vibrations on the steering wheel and on the cockpit and have a better race."
The unexpected April break due to the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix gave teams extra time to work, but Aston Martin hasn't yet resolved its fundamental problems.

What's next:

The five-week break may have been an opportunity, but Steiner doubted it would be enough to turn things around. Aston Martin needs a significant performance upgrade to climb from the bottom. With the budget cap and new regulations, the team's recovery will be a test of whether its infrastructure and talent can eventually deliver results.