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The Aston Martin mechanics have been under intense pressure due to the reliability issues the team have experienced.
It has been all hands on deck at Aston Martin in the build-up to and during the Friday practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix, following on from pre-season testing issues.
During the first practice session on Friday morning, Fernando Alonso did not complete a lap around Albert Park as there was an issue with his Honda power unit.
Both of the Aston Martin cars were out on track during the second practice session in the afternoon, but they found themselves towards the back end of the timesheets in 20th and 21st places.
Fernando Alonso is forced to sit out the first FP1 of 2026 at the Australian Grand Prix
How long will it be before Alonso loses faith in Honda?
Bernie Collins says Aston Martin are about to face ‘big problems’
It had been confirmed by Aston Martin’s team principal, Adrian Newey, that the team are down to their final two batteries, after arriving in Australia with four.
The battery reliability issues have arisen due to the vibration issues that Aston Martin have been experiencing with their power unit.
With the Chinese Grand Prix a week after the Australian Grand Prix, Bernie Collins said on Sky Sports that Aston Martin could run into ‘big problems’ with reliability.
Collins, “The saying is, to finish first, first you must finish. So, the first thing they need to do is get some reliability with the car, and it is worrying what Alonso was saying they were doing some testing in terms of the vibration, and it does not feel much different to him in terms of what was happening in Bahrain.
“That means they are burning through parts, and every team in this paddock has had a massive job to get two cars built here, but I think Aston and Cadillac have really struggled. As you walk further down the pit lane, the mechanics get more and more tired the further you go.
“It is a big, big problem for them, and at the beginning of the season, the races are coming thick and fast, with the calendar how it is now, but we don’t know if that is going to change. But the races are coming at us fast, straight into China next weekend, which gives them very little time to get on top of things.
“If they are down to their last two batteries, we still have a long way to go this weekend, let alone next weekend.”
Aston Martin boss Adrian Newey reveals Honda only have two operational batteries left
Will Aston Martin make the start of the Australian Grand Prix?
Adrian Newey notes mechanics are ‘on their knees’ amid issues
During the team principals’ press conference at the Australian Grand Prix, Newey was interrogated by the media about the state of Aston Martin.
When asked about the worst-case scenario for the Silverstone-based team in 2026, Newey mentioned the state of the Aston Martin mechanics who have been ‘on their knees’ due to the issues.
Newey, “At the moment, this vibration issue is sucking all energy in every area. I mean, as I said, emotionally, I mean, our mechanics were up until four o’clock this morning. So, of course, they’re on their knees.”
As the only team on the 2026 Formula 1 grid that are using the Honda power unit, Martin Brundle believes that Aston will face a six-month struggle.
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