Fernando Alonso was forced to retire from the Canadian Grand Prix before seeing the chequered flag, reigniting questions and frustration directed at Lawrence Stroll's team for what many see as a recurring pattern of ruining race weekends for the double world champion.

Speaking to Motorsport, Aston Martin's team principal, Mike Krack, addressed what happened to Alonso during the race. Krack explained that with the 2026 cars, teams are pushing the setup as low as possible in pursuit of performance — and that over time, drivers have increasingly adopted a more reclined seating position to accommodate that approach.

He acknowledged that in pursuing that direction, the team may have gone a step too far with Alonso's setup and admitted it was something they needed to review carefully. While the precise technical details behind the retirement were not fully elaborated, the underlying admission was clear: the team made an error in its approach.

Alonso paid the price for it on race day in the middle of a season that could be qualified as a nightmare for the driver and their millions of followers.

Fernando Alonso arrived at the 2026 season with real hope that the new regulations would trigger a leap in Aston Martin's performance similar to what McLaren achieved in late 2024 — a transformation that ultimately delivered them the drivers' and constructors' titles in 2025.

Backing that optimism was the arrival of Adrian Newey, the legendary designer responsible for the championship-winning cars of Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, as well as a massive investment in the team's infrastructure, including a new wind tunnel.

Reality, however, hit hard. Aston Martin was unable to complete all sessions during pre-season testing due to car problems — a troubling sign that things were not where they needed to be heading into the first race. The Australian Grand Prix confirmed the concern, with questions raised before the race even started about whether the car would be capable of finishing, let alone competing.

Through the Canadian Grand Prix, the team has spent most of the season battling Cadillac — the entry of Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas — at the back of the Constructors' Championship. For a driver of Alonso's caliber, and for an organization with Aston Martin's stated ambitions, it has been a deeply disappointing start to what was meant to be a transformative year.