For the first time in the 2026 Formula 1 season, both Aston Martin drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, crossed the finish line at the Miami Grand Prix. It was a small but meaningful positive note for the Silverstone-based team, which has been struggling with reliability issues during the opening rounds of the championship.
Despite this small step forward, Aston Martin did not show any significant performance improvement compared to the previous races. From the Japanese Grand Prix up to Miami, the team has not managed to make a clear leap in competitiveness. Once again at the end of the American weekend, Aston Martin left the circuit without scoring any points, meaning it remains at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship standings. However, compared to the first three races of the season, there was at least one notable difference.
For the first time this year, both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were classified at the finish of a Grand Prix. The Spanish driver, after two consecutive retirements and a 18th place finish at Suzuka, achieved his best result of the season so far by finishing 15th in Miami, also managing to outperform Sergio Perez in the closing stages of the race.
“It is positive that both cars finished the race for the first time this season,” said Fernando Alonso. “We are not yet where we want to be, but this weekend allowed us to collect more data that we can analyse in the coming weeks before Canada. We have made clear progress in terms of reliability, now our focus shifts to performance. We need to keep working and be patient as a team.”
Lance Stroll finished in 17th position, second to last in the classification, but he also reached the finish line for the first time this season, ahead of his home Grand Prix in Canada. For the Canadian driver, the Miami race still represented a small but important step in the right direction for the team.
“It is the first time this season that both cars have finished a race, so that is a positive takeaway from Miami,” said Lance Stroll. “We were able to complete more laps with the car and we experienced fewer vibrations this weekend. In hindsight, our tyre strategy did not work out, but from a reliability point of view we have taken a step in the right direction. Now we need to work on performance-related issues. There are many areas where we can improve.”
Although Aston Martin continues to face significant challenges in terms of outright pace and competitiveness, the Miami Grand Prix provided at least one encouraging element: improved reliability. With both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll reaching the chequered flag, the team was able to gather valuable data that could prove useful for future development. As attention now turns to the Canadian Grand Prix, Aston Martin will be hoping to convert these small reliability gains into more meaningful progress in performance.
While performance remains a significant hurdle for Aston Martin, the Miami Grand Prix served as a vital technical milestone by delivering the team’s first double finish of the 2026 season. This shift from mechanical fragility to reliability provides the necessary platform for Alonso and Stroll to gather crucial data, allowing the team to pivot their focus toward finding the speed required to finally climb out of the bottom of the standings in the upcoming rounds.
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