Aston Martin handed scathing review over 'disaster' situation

Ralf Schumacher has delivered a damning verdict on Aston Martin’s troubled start to the 2026 F1 season, branding the situation a "big disaster" ahead of next weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Expectations had been sky-high over the winter, with the Silverstone-based squad having moved into its state-of-the-art new factory, secured a works partnership with Honda — fresh from a dominant spell with Red Bull — and placed increasing technical responsibility in the hands of design legend Adrian Newey in recent years.

On paper, it looked like the final pieces of a title-challenging puzzle were falling into place. Instead, pre-season testing has exposed what Schumacher describes as a project in serious difficulty.

Speaking on Sky Sports Germany's F1 Podcast Backstage Boxengasse, the six-time grand prix winner did not hide his shock at what he witnessed in Barcelona and Bahrain, where delays, reliability concerns and a clear lack of pace left both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll struggling.

"It’s a big disaster and, at the same time, a surprise, of course,” said Schumacher. "Everything is coming together. Who would have thought? Honda was incredibly successful with Red Bull and seemed like a safe bet. Precisely, they also wanted to bet heavily on the electric component, and that's where they have the most problems now."

Honda's previous success in the hybrid era had been seen as a cornerstone of Aston Martin's new-era ambitions.

However, as Schumacher suggested, the electrical side of the new power unit package has proven a significant stumbling block – a major concern under fresh regulations designed to increase hybrid deployment to a near-even split with traditional combustion power.

More alarmingly, the former Jordan, Williams and Toyota driver revealed that warning signs may have been present even before testing began.

"Even Newey said beforehand: 'We have a problem in the wind tunnel. We are three to four months behind, the car is no good, and the engine is bad'.

"It could hardly be worse. I wonder if they will be able to finish the races at all at the beginning of the season, when you see what needs to be fixed in such a short time."