Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin’s lack of straight-line speed leaves him fighting for survival in Bahrain. The two-time world champion calls it a miracle to compete with faster cars and doubts a points finish is realistic this weekend.
Fernando Alonso left qualifying in Bahrain with no illusions. He finished twelfth. The Aston Martin driver called it “a miracle” that his team can even take the fight to faster cars. The odds are stacked against them.
“We are less competitive and so far the weekend has gone well, but we have to keep our feet on the ground,” Alonso said after Saturday’s session. He knows several quick cars will start behind him because of penalties. He expects them to charge forward as soon as the race begins. The real problem, he said, is on the straights. Aston Martin just can’t match the speed. Defending or overtaking? Nearly impossible.
Both Alonso and Stroll advanced to Q2 for the first time in the 2026 season, marking Aston Martin's best qualifying result so far.
Still, Alonso found something positive. He called Saturday’s qualifying “one of the best of the season.” The gap to the Q2 leaders was only 1.5 seconds. That’s the smallest margin so far. But even on a track that should suit Aston Martin, the team is still struggling. He didn’t hide his frustration.
Scoring points? Alonso says it will be tough. “It will depend a lot on strategy and tyre management in the opening laps,” he said. If Aston Martin loses ground early on the straights, the race could slip away fast. There’s a small hope, though. “We are in a better position to enjoy ourselves than in recent Grands Prix, so let’s make the most of it.”
Alonso’s blunt words match the reality Aston Martin has faced all year. The team’s straight-line speed problem isn’t new. Technical updates, like the lighter AMR26 in Baku, haven’t closed the gap to the front. That’s according to recent team reports. Bahrain’s long straights make the weakness even clearer. Alonso and his engineers are searching for any edge they can find. It’s a tough job.
According to official Formula 1 analysis, the Sepang/Bahrain circuit layout—with its long lap time of around 95 seconds—played to Aston Martin’s strengths more than previous tracks, helping the team achieve their strongest qualifying since the summer break.
The grid is set in Sakhir. The facts are plain. Aston Martin is fighting not just other teams, but the limits of its own car. Alonso calling the situation a miracle is rare for a driver of his level. It shows how hard the challenge is. Even world champions can end up fighting for scraps when the car isn’t fast enough. Bahrain will test Aston Martin’s strategy. It will test Alonso’s ability to pull off the impossible. The car just doesn’t have the pace to match the leaders.
