F1 | Aston Martin limited to short runs after yesterday’s issue. Spare parts in short supply
Under clear skies and bright sunshine in Sakhir, conditions may look ideal — but at Aston Martin Racing, it’s anything but calm.
After a delayed start during the Barcelona shakedown at the end of January, followed by the early teething problems of the AMR26-Honda power unit package seen during the opening pre-season test in Bahrain, another setback has now hit the Silverstone-based squad.
In an official statement released by Honda, Aston Martin confirmed that the British car will only be able to complete short appearances on track during this final day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The statement reads: “Our final on-track session yesterday with Fernando Alonso at the wheel revealed a battery-related issue on the power unit, and this had a significant impact on our planned test programme with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.”
“Since then, we have conducted bench simulations at the HRC facility in Sakhir. As a result of this, and due to the limited number of power unit spare parts available, we have decided that today’s programme will consist only of short stints.”
Yesterday, Fernando Alonso was forced to stop the AMR26 on track after hearing what was described as a highly suspicious noise coming from the rear of the car.
After stepping out of the cockpit, Alonso watched as recovery crews transported the stricken car back to the pits on a flatbed truck. The AMR26 did not return to the Sakhir circuit for the remainder of the session.
Today, Lance Stroll will be the only driver behind the wheel of the AMR26. For the Canadian, this represents yet another missed opportunity. During the Barcelona shakedown, he managed just a couple of laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya before handing the car over to Fernando Alonso.
This time, he will be limited to short runs only — far from ideal considering this is the final day of testing before the Formula 1 paddock heads to Melbourne for the opening Grand Prix of the season.
For Aston Martin Racing, the outlook ahead of the new campaign appears extremely challenging, and time is rapidly running out to resolve the issues before the season gets underway.
The technical failures involving the Honda power unit and a critical shortage of spare parts have therefore severely compromised Aston Martin’s final preparations in Bahrain, leaving Lance Stroll with minimal track time ahead of the 2026 season opener.
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