Aston Martin is the final team expected to arrive for the Barcelona tests, but the men led by Lawrence Stroll still have a significant amount of work ahead of them.
The Silverstone-based squad is the last outfit set to join the action at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. As previously reported, the team owned by Lawrence Stroll is dealing with a situation similar to that of Williams, marked by delays in the development of its 2026 car.
While the Grove-based team is already being described as facing a potential “disaster”, with the real risk of missing even the Bahrain pre-season tests — which are extremely important in Formula 1, especially in what many consider a true “year zero” under the new regulations — Aston Martin should avoid falling into the same scenario.
According to the latest information, the AMR26 is currently en route to Girona and is expected to arrive at the Montmeló circuit around this time. The mechanics will have a major task on their hands to complete the final setup work on the car, which is expected to be ready to hit the track tomorrow, at least by midday.
As reported by Motorsport, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will only be able to run from Thursday onwards and will also have access to the final day of testing on Friday, as teams are allowed to run on three of the five available days. The hope within the team is to have enough time to complete filming runs and, above all, to gather as much data as possible.
The only team not heading to Barcelona is Williams, which now faces an uphill 2026 campaign amid concerns over potential overweight issues, a failed crash test, and delays in overall development. For these reasons, the team will present its car only in a virtual format. The Bahrain test session scheduled for next month is also reportedly at risk.
There are no apparent issues for the rest of the teams on the grid, all of whom will remain at the Montmeló circuit until Friday.
As always, we will keep you as up to date as possible. On our website, you can follow minute-by-minute live coverage of all the action from these days of Formula 1 testing in Barcelona.
The arrival of the AMR26 in Barcelona marks a pivotal, albeit delayed, start to the new partnership between Aston Martin and Honda under the leadership of Adrian Newey. While the team has cut it fine by missing the opening sessions, their ability to get the car on track for the final two days will be a testament to their operational resilience and a critical step in avoiding the deeper developmental crisis currently facing Williams. As the 2026 era begins with such high technical stakes, these final hours in Spain will offer the first real glimpse into whether Adrian Newey’s latest creation is ready to challenge the established order.
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