Why F1's Slowest Car Has a New Urgent Problem to Fix

Aston Martin and Honda have addressed the vibration issues that plagued their 2026 car, but a new problem has moved to the front of the queue: a erratic gearbox that Fernando Alonso says makes the car nearly undriveable.

Why it matters:

After solving the engine vibrations that caused destructive reliability and significant driver discomfort, Aston Martin's relative win in Miami (four classified finishes in one weekend vs. three in the first three race weekends) is overshadowed by a driveability crisis. With the car already the slowest on the grid, the gearbox issue threatens any chance of progress and demands an urgent fix ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

The details:

• Vibration fix: A major collaboration, including leaving the car at Honda's Sakura factory after Japan, allowed engineers to root out the vibrations. Alonso confirmed they are "gone." Reliability improved from 3/8 classified finishes to 4 in Miami.
• Gearbox trouble: Throughout the Miami weekend, Alonso suffered from erratic gearbox behavior. “It was impossible to drive. I lost sync in every braking point, I had no acceleration out of the corners, and the downshifts were all over the place,” he said. The team developed its own gearbox for the first time since 2008.
• No performance upgrades: Despite being the slowest car in Japan, Aston Martin was the only team without a declared upgrade in Miami. Alonso confirmed there are no conventional performance upgrades “until after summer,” as the team prioritizes larger R&D projects. “There is not really any point to bring two tenths when there is one second to the next car in front,” he said.
• Current priorities: The team has focused on reliability and weight reduction, but lacks downforce and power. Stroll bluntly stated: “We have no downforce. We have no power.”

What's next:

The immediate fix is the gearbox behavior for Canada, a track with heavy braking zones. Alonso made it clear: “That's the fix number one for Canada.” Honda will seek small gains via energy management and driveability, while Aston Martin chips away at weight and optimizes the package. Krack said there is a lot to extract from the current package, and the team must stay motivated while waiting for bigger steps that won't come until later in the season.