Aston Martin Heads to Monza: The Real Test Begins

 

After a difficult first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Aston Martin finally showed signs of progress at Zandvoort.

Fernando Alonso finished ninth in the Dutch Grand Prix, giving Aston Martin its best result of the season so far. More importantly, the result confirmed something the team had been hoping to see for several races:

The AMR26 is finally becoming a better racing car.

But there is a problem.

The next race is Monza.

And Monza will test the one area where Aston Martin still has serious questions.

A Much Better Aston Martin

Aston Martin entered the summer break near the back of the field.

The AMR26 had struggled with weight, aerodynamic performance and the early problems surrounding Honda's new power unit. The arrival of Adrian Newey had created enormous expectations, but the reality of the first half of the season was far from those expectations.

Then came Hungary.

Aston Martin introduced a major package containing 16 developments, including significant chassis and aerodynamic changes. The improvement was immediately visible.

At the Hungaroring, Alonso and Lance Stroll reached Q2 for the first time in 2026, and the team finally appeared capable of fighting with other midfield cars.

The development continued at Zandvoort.

And this time, the improvement translated into points.

Alonso's Ninth Place

Fernando Alonso started the Dutch Grand Prix from 18th on the grid.

Yet he finished ninth.

That result was not simply the product of unusual circumstances.

The improved AMR26 showed much better tyre management and race pace. Alonso was able to run a long stint on soft tyres and use a one-stop strategy while several of his midfield rivals had to make additional pit stops.

The car was finally allowing Alonso to use one of his greatest strengths:

race management.

After the race, Alonso praised the chassis and its improved behaviour, while making it clear that the Honda power unit still needed work.

That distinction is important.

The Aston Martin chassis appears to be heading in the right direction.

The engine is not there yet.

Honda's New Spec 2

Honda introduced its updated RA626H Spec 2 power unit at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The development focused on combustion efficiency and performance, with Honda changing areas including the pre-chamber, piston shape and lubrication system.

On paper, this was exactly what Aston Martin needed.

In reality, the situation is more complicated.

The new engine is more powerful, but Alonso reported that the drivability was not yet as consistent as the previous specification.

Throttle response, energy deployment and gear changes are particularly important because they affect how confidently a driver can attack a corner and accelerate onto the next straight.

Aston Martin therefore gained performance from the new package, but the Honda engine still needs further optimisation.

Then Comes Monza

This is where things become interesting.

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is known as the Temple of Speed.

It is one of the fastest circuits on the Formula 1 calendar, with long straights, heavy braking zones and a low-drag aerodynamic configuration.

At Monza, teams remove as much aerodynamic drag as possible.

Straight-line speed becomes critical.

Acceleration out of the chicanes becomes critical.

Power deployment becomes critical.

And this is precisely where Aston Martin still has a problem.

Alonso himself acknowledged after Zandvoort that the lack of straight-line performance remains an important limitation. He also suggested that Monza could be one of the most difficult circuits for Aston Martin in the remaining races.

That makes Monza a genuine test.

Chassis vs. Power Unit

Zandvoort gave Aston Martin a reason to be optimistic about the chassis.

Monza will tell us how much of that improvement survives on a completely different type of circuit.

If the AMR26 remains competitive through Monza's high-speed sections despite its Honda limitations, that would be a very strong indication that Aston Martin has finally established a solid aerodynamic platform.

But if the car loses significant time on the straights, the same old problem will remain visible.

The difference between the chassis and the power unit has rarely been this clear.

The chassis is improving.

Honda still has work to do.

The Newey Factor

There is another reason to watch Aston Martin closely.

This is the first season in which Adrian Newey's influence is being applied to a completely new generation of Formula 1 regulations at Aston Martin.

The team's early-season problems were severe, but the development direction has now started to produce results.

That is perhaps more important than the ninth-place finish itself.

Aston Martin needed to discover whether its development philosophy was working.

Zandvoort provided the first real evidence that it is.

The next question is whether the team can continue that progress on circuits that expose different weaknesses.

Monza is the first major test.

Alonso's Challenge

For Fernando Alonso, the situation is particularly interesting.

At the beginning of the season, Aston Martin was fighting simply to escape the back of the grid.

Now the team is beginning to fight for points.

That is progress.

But Alonso knows that points at Zandvoort and competitiveness at Monza are two very different things.

The Spaniard has already made it clear that the Honda power unit needs more work on drivability and performance.

There is also no expectation of an overnight transformation.

Honda is still learning how to extract the best performance from its 2026 power unit, while Aston Martin continues to develop the AMR26 around it.

The Real Question at Monza

The Dutch Grand Prix answered one question:

Can Aston Martin build a competitive chassis?

The answer appears to be yes.

Monza will ask another:

Can Honda give that chassis the power it needs?

That answer is still unknown.

And that is what makes the Italian Grand Prix so important for Aston Martin.

Zandvoort gave the team hope.

Monza will provide reality.

If Aston Martin can survive the Temple of Speed with competitive straight-line performance and another points finish, the second half of 2026 could become a very different story from the first.

But if the Honda power unit continues to struggle on the long straights, the limitations of the current package will be impossible to hide.

For Aston Martin, the real test begins at Monza.