Fernando Alonso delivered Aston Martin’s top score of the 2026 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, advancing from 17th on the grid to finish eighth.
Technical set‑up fuels success
The 2026 AMR26, styled by Adrian Newey and powered by a Honda unit, appeared far sharper than its earlier outings, turning a previous struggle into a competitive platform on the tropical circuit.
Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll both stretched into Q2, starting 12th and 14th from the provisional grid, a clear improvement for a team that had been lagging in earlier races.
Race dynamics swing the tables
A slick‑tyre start proved costly, but the first safety‑car period re‑established the pace, allowing Alonso to launch past Sergio Perez and Alexander Albon and climb from 17th to 14th as Gabriel Bortoleto pitted.
His second pitstop saw him overtake Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Arvid Lindblad, placing the Spaniard in the top ten by lap 20 yet still chasing Lando Norris by around 17 seconds.
Mercedes incidentally lifted Alonso two places: George Russell’s technical crash and Norris’s off‑track excursion at the safety‑car interval opened the door for a closer battle.
Driver’s perspective on raceplay
Alonso recounted his mid‑race push, noting a lap‑four dive on Hamilton that felt “child‑like” and a slick‑tyre dilemma that left him seeking improvements.
He pointed out that when Norris fought the recovery from Nico Hulkenberg’s duel, the British driver’s battery was fighting a slower pace, whereas Alonso’s reserve reserves allowed him to exploit straight‑line advantage.
Expressing professional satisfaction, Alonso said the team executed flawlessly in a weekend where precision is critical; mistakes would have ended the effort.
Analysis of teammates and prospects
Lance Stroll wrapped the race in 12th after a hard‑tyre stint that “was a bit of a run‑out”, losing keenness and dropping out of the points race‑track taller.
Alonso admitted the car still presented oversteer issues even after a front‑wing adjustment, and hinted that further development could push the performance higher for later Grands Prix.
Looking ahead, the Spaniard is optimistic about Singapore, a circuit – on paper – “better suited” to Sepang’s qualities, though he remains realistic about wings of variance that may leave the team uncompetitive at some venues.
With seven points to date, Alonso matches Haas’s Ocon and outpaces his rival’s teammate Carlos Sainz, signaling a solid resurgence for Aston Martin amid a season that has often been uneven.
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