Fernando Alonso qualified 12th in Bahrain and called it “a miracle” that Aston Martin can take the fight to faster cars. Both Alonso and Lance Stroll advanced to Q2 for the first time in the 2026 season, giving the team its best qualifying result so far.
“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. Several quick cars will start behind him because of penalties, and he expects them to charge forward as soon as the race begins. The bigger problem is straight-line speed: Aston Martin struggles to match its rivals, making it nearly impossible to defend or overtake.
Still, Alonso called Saturday’s qualifying “one of the best of the season.” The gap to the Q2 leaders was only 1.5 seconds, the team’s smallest margin so far. Even on a track that should suit Aston Martin, but, the team continues to struggle, and Alonso did not hide his frustration.
Scoring points will be tough, he said. “It will depend a lot on strategy and tyre management in the opening laps,” he said. If Aston Martin loses ground on the straights early in the race, its chances could quickly fade. “We are in a better position to enjoy ourselves than in recent Grands Prix, so let’s make the most of it.”
Alonso’s comments reflect a straight-line speed problem Aston Martin has faced all year. Technical updates, including the lighter AMR26 in Baku, have not closed the gap to the front, recent team reports say. Bahrain’s long straights make the weakness more apparent, while Alonso and his engineers search for any available advantage.
Formula 1 analysis said the Sepang/Bahrain circuit layout, with a lap time of around 95 seconds, played more to Aston Martin’s strengths than previous tracks. It helped the team achieve its strongest qualifying since the summer break.
In Sakhir, Aston Martin is up against both its rivals and the limits of its car. Bahrain will test the team’s strategy and Alonso’s ability to make up for a lack of pace against the leaders.
