“We are 4 seconds off”: Lance Stroll slams disastrous Aston Martin AMR26 after Bahrain testing. Lance Stroll criticizes Aston Martin after a difficult second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Lance Stroll didn’t hold back after the second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, delivering harsh words about what looks set to be a disastrous season for Aston Martin.

The tests so far have been a complete disaster for Aston Martin, and Stroll confirmed it in his media interviews. Even the Barcelona tests started very late, with the AMR26 barely completing any running. Now, with the first Bahrain sessions underway, the situation hasn’t improved—in fact, it seems to have gotten worse.

Today, the AMR26 already needed a new engine after the first unit barely completed 100 laps. For comparison, Ferrari has been running the same engine from Barcelona and has encountered no issues so far. Honda, on the other hand, is facing serious overheating problems with its new power unit.

Stroll’s scathing remarks

The Japanese engine supplier seems to be reliving a kind of déjà-vu. Back in 2015, when Honda returned to F1, they faced many engine problems that crippled McLaren for years. But according to Stroll, the engine isn’t the only issue. “We have engine problems and other non-engine problems,” he said.

Stroll also emphasized that Aston Martin won’t be fighting for victories this season. “We are not in a position to fight for wins,” he stated. He even highlighted a shocking statistic: “Compared to the competition, we are more than four seconds off the pace. The only thing saving us is the livery.”

If this gap is confirmed, it raises serious doubts about the new Aston Martin project. Could Adrian Newey’s latest creation have fundamental issues, especially in the extreme design shapes we’ve seen? For now, Honda still has a major task to resolve with its new engine, and the nightmare of a “2015 redux” seems increasingly likely.

Overall, this situation shows that even with the greatest engineering minds and significant investment, the transition to the 2026 power units remains a volatile challenge. As the rest of the field moves into performance optimization, Aston Martin is stuck in survival mode, desperately trying to keep the car on track long enough to understand where the project went wrong. The road to Melbourne is looking incredibly long for the team in green.