From dream to disaster
All of Spain that follows and loves Formula 1 had placed its hopes in the Aston Martin team, in Adrian Newey and in the technical revolution of this 2026. The hope was that the Silverstone team would provide Fernando Alonso with a sufficiently competitive car to allow the idol of the Iberian public to compete for podiums, victories and maybe that third world title that the Asturian has been chasing for twenty years. Never was hope more disappointed: not only is the AMR26 not competitive for wins but it is, due to the so far unsuccessful partnership with Honda, probably the worst car currently on the grid.
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A disaster that, however, according to the analysis of the brand ambassador of the English team Pedro de la Rosa, is highlighting even more Alonso’s leadership qualities. During his very long career, the Spaniard has often been labeled as a ‘difficult’ driver to manage within the team. According to de la Rosa, who spoke about it in an interview with the Spanish site AS, the exact opposite is true.
Alonso on the front line
“Working with Fernando is a luxury, I have always said it and he is a source of inspiration, with him I never stop learning – observed de la Rosa, who worked alongside the compatriot also during his time at McLaren and Ferrari – we are now in a difficult situation, but Fernando is there to give his support, to lend a hand if more work is needed, and with great enthusiasm. He is not a disappointed Fernando or anything else, he simply says: ‘We have to work and I am here’. This is a great leader”.
Unfortunately, however, the road to recovery after this disastrous start to 2026 is still long for Aston Martin: “The frustration of the fans is also the frustration of the whole team – emphasized de la Rosa – no one should think we are experiencing it differently. We have to grit our teeth and try to work harder and better than others to get rid of this bitter taste from the start of the season. What I don’t want is to create false illusions. The only thing I can promise is work and, from there, the races will decide if we have been better than others. But we promise a lot of work,” he concluded.
