Aston Martin takes another hit with a sizable grid penalty for both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
When it rains, it pours. At least if you're in the Aston Martin garage.
The FIA recently confirmed that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll receive a combined 45-place engine penalty at the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. So no matter how well they do in qualifying (if that's possible), both Aston Martin drivers will start at the back of the grid on Saturday's race.
Alonso has been handed a 25-place grid penalty for exceeding his allocation for three power unit components, namely:
- 5th internal combustion engine (ICE): +10 places
- 5th turbocharger: +10 places
- 9th power unit ancillary component: +5 places
Meanwhile, Stroll, who hasn't scored a point this season, will receive a 20-place penalty. Here's the breakdown of the Canadian's penalty:
- 6th turbocharger: +5 places
- 7th energy store: +5 places
- 6th control electronics unit: +5 places
- 8th power unit ancillary component: +5 places
Before the practice sessions, there were reports that anticipated the penalties for both Alonso and Stroll. After Free Practice 1 and 2, the FIA finally confirmed those speculations.
Aston Martin struggles in practice sessions
The Silverstone-based team started their 2026 Baku campaign on the wrong foot. As expected, they lagged in pace in the first two practice sessions. In FP1, Alonso settled for P19, while Stroll finished P21. In FP2, the two drivers were dead last.
The AMR26 just didn't have enough pace, even on the straights. Reports say that they didn't exceed 315 km/h at any point during FP2. For comparison, the slowest Formula 2 driver that same day went for a fastest time of 318.3 km/h.
How can the slowest F2 car beat an F1 car in top speed? It's unfathomable, to say the least.
Stroll said that they're "struggling for pace", as they try to learn how to improve the car for qualifying on Friday and for the race on Saturday. Meanwhile, the team's Chief Trackside Officer, Mike Krack, reported that Alonso actually had a "suspected oil leak" that limited the Spanish driver's laps in FP2.
No Baku upgrades for Aston Martin
Aston Martin is one of the five teams that didn't deliver an upgrade package this week. They don't have lofty aspirations right now, which could justify their decision to take in new power unit components and the grid penalties that came with it.
Still, we hope that both Aston Martin drivers take the checkered flag on Saturday. We've seen enough of these DNFs from the AMR26.
