Aston Martin reliability crisis: Honda engine trouble cuts Fernando Alonso’s Bahrain test short. Aston Martin faces further concerns during the Bahrain F1 test .

Aston Martin faces another warning sign in Bahrain as Alonso ends his session early

Aston Martin’s difficult pre-season continues. On the penultimate day of Formula 1 testing in Bahrain, the AMR26 once again failed to complete its planned program, with Fernando Alonso forced to end his day early due to an issue related to the Honda power unit.

Just days before the 2026 season opener, concerns surrounding the British team are growing. Reliability problems and limited track time are preventing Aston Martin from gathering the valuable data required to properly fine-tune the car ahead of the first race weekend in Melbourne.

Honda power unit issue limits mileage for the AMR26

The Spanish driver completed a total of 68 laps, setting a best time of 1:34.472 on the C3 compound, before the team opted to stop the car as a precaution after identifying an anomaly with the power unit. The AMR26 returned to the garage for further checks, but the impact in terms of lost mileage is significant.

For comparison, drivers Max Verstappen, Alexander Albon, Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson – all of whom were also on track for the full day – comfortably surpassed the 100-lap mark. In a testing environment where every lap is crucial for correlation work and race simulations, falling short of such mileage inevitably raises concerns.

Fernando Alonso did not hide the challenges faced during the session: “It was not an easy day, with several interruptions. It was important to accumulate mileage, but it was not enough and we were unable to complete our program due to a power unit issue that ended the afternoon session early.”

He then delivered a more telling admission: “There are many things we need to fix, but I know that everyone at the track and at the AMR Technology Campus is working 100% to find solutions.”

An uphill start to the season

Beyond the technical stoppage, what is most concerning is the lack of continuity. The AMR26 appears to be struggling not only in terms of reliability, but also in fully understanding its overall package. Reduced mileage limits data collection, slows down setup work and prevents complete race simulations – all of which are fundamental to arriving well-prepared at the first round of the season.

At a stage where rival teams are building experience and strengthening correlation between track data and simulator development, Aston Martin still seems to be searching for a clear direction. Every lost session reduces the opportunity to explore different setup configurations and optimize tire management strategies, particularly on the demanding Bahrain International Circuit layout.

With only one day of testing remaining – and Lance Stroll scheduled to take over driving duties – time is running out. Melbourne is fast approaching, and at this moment the overall feeling surrounding the AMR26 is far from reassuring. Unless the team manages to extract a clean and productive final day, Aston Martin could head into the opening Grand Prix weekend with more questions than answers.