Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll during qualifying for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. Images: XPB Images
Speaking to Speedcafe, the team’s global ambassador Pedro de la Rosa detailed a campaign that has fallen well short of expectations.
Aston Martin has managed just one finish between its two drivers from the opening three rounds.
That came when Fernando Alonso finished 18th and a lap down on winner Kimi Antonelli in Japan, underlining the scale of the challenge.
“I think we’ve kept calm and united,” de la Rosa said of the opening part of the season.
“Obviously working on a very difficult scenario. Because firstly we were not expecting to be where we are right now. We were expecting to be a lot more competitive.
“So therefore it has been difficult to accept.”
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The early-season struggles have been compounded by severe high-frequency vibrations linked to the Honda power unit, an issue that has not only hurt performance but also taken a physical toll on both Alonso and Lance Stroll.
At its worst, Alonso reported losing feeling in his hands and feet during the Chinese Grand Prix, forcing his retirement.
Behind the scenes, however, de la Rosa said progress is being made — even if it has yet to translate into results.
“We have improved. It’s difficult to talk about improvements from when you see it from the outside,” he said.
“But actually there’s a lot of work that behind the scenes that is actually taking place as we speak.
“It’s been encouraging the response from the whole team really to stay patient and united.”
Pedro de la Rosa with Lance Stroll. Image: XPB Images
He pointed to significant steps in addressing the vibration problem since pre-season running, alongside ongoing aerodynamic development.
“The vibration issues, we have been mitigating them. Massively since the Barcelona test,” he explained.
“So every time that the drivers jump into the car, we have improved on that.
“And then there is also the development on the car, which we brought an aero package in Australia. And that made the car a lot faster.”
Further updates have continued to arrive, with Aston Martin introducing new components in Japan in a bid to unlock further performance.
“We’re just developing the car like we should at a very good pace,” de la Rosa said.
“We haven’t changed our approach because of the vibration problems.”
While the issues have proven frustrating, de la Rosa was keen to stress the importance of transparency.
“I think it’s important to be transparent and clear. Explain the issues we are experiencing,” he said.
“And that’s what we’re trying to be. We’re extremely open.
“Adrian [Newey, team principal] was very open in Australia. And we really need to be.
“There’s no point in hiding or trying to make our issues smaller because the only way of actually getting on top of everything is just being very realistic.”
Central to that response has been the influence of Newey, whose arrival has brought renewed focus as the team attempts to navigate its early crisis.
And despite recent speculation that Newey was set to step down as team principal to focus purely on the design aspects of the AMR26, de la Rosa said he was the perfect leader for the team.
“The beauty about Adrian is that he can say the things that others can only think, but he can also make the things that others can only think,” de la Rosa added.
“He’s the person that leads by example. Listens to everyone, especially to the drivers. And then comes up with solutions.
“We all know what the problems can be in a race car at one point. Those engineers that actually come up with the solutions are the ones that make the car faster and win championships.
“And Adrian is one of them definitely. So he’s an inspiration. He’s a true leader.”
Fernando Alonso gave the team their first race finish of the year in Japan. Image: XPB Images
Despite incremental gains — including an “80 percent improvement” with the vibration issue trialled in Japan before being shelved due to reliability concerns — Aston Martin continues to face a steep climb.
Performance remains lacking across the board, while reliability issues have limited valuable track time.
That lack of mileage has only been exacerbated by disruptions to the early calendar, something de la Rosa believes has hurt more than helped.
“I am of the opinion that the best way to develop a race car is racing,” he explained.
“So I see it as something that it isn’t good for our case in the sense that we are trying to learn as much as we can of with the new regulations.
“We are behind schedule. We have completed a lot less laps, race laps, and test laps, during these first two races.
“So I would rather go racing every weekend to be able that we can we can improve faster.
“But it is what it is, and it is the same for everyone. So we also will have more time really to regroup and work behind the scenes.
“Winning is always special in Formula 1. When you’re a long time Formula 1 you realise how difficult it is actually to win.
“And you appreciate more the effort that you need to make to be competitive.
“When you actually manage to get a huge workforce of over 1200 people aligned, working well as a team united, and you managed to succeed.
“There’s nothing like it.”
