Fernando Alonso has admitted that Aston Martin has \u201ca lot of work still to do\u201d before the start of the F1 2026 season after his first taste of the Adrian Newey-designed AMR26 car on Friday.<\/p>\n
Aston Martin was a late arrival to this week\u2019s shakedown in Barcelona with the team taking to the track for the first time on the penultimate day of running.<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin has \u2018a lot of work still to do\u2019<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Lance Stroll carried out five laps in the final hour on Thursday before handing over driving duties to teammate Alonso on Friday.<\/p>\n Alonso completed a total of 49 laps on the final day of the testing, setting a fastest lap time of 1:20.795 \u2013 4.447 seconds adrift of the pace-setting Ferrari over Lewis Hamilton.<\/p>\n Only Valtteri Bottas, the Cadillac F1 driver, lapped slower than Alonso on the final day of the Barcelona test.<\/p>\n Matt Somerfield\u2019s AMR26 tech analysis: Adrian Newey\u2019s first Aston Martin F1 car<\/p>\n Adrian Newey masterclass revealed as Aston Martin AMR26 dissected<\/a><\/p>\n Why Adrian Newey\u2019s private Alonso talks are so important for Aston Martin<\/a><\/p>\n Alonso\u2019s debut behind the wheel of the AMR26 saw him drive a car designed by Newey, the legendary F1 tech guru and newly appointed Aston Martin team principal, for the first time.<\/p>\n Alonso declared himself satisfied with his mileage on the final day of testing, yet conceded that the team must make considerable strides before the opening race of the season in Australia on March 8.<\/p>\n In a statement issued to PlanetF1.com by Aston Martin, Alonso said: \u201cIt\u2019s always a special moment driving a new car for the first time, especially at the start of a new regulation cycle.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the years I\u2019ve experienced many changes in Formula 1 and you quickly get a sense of the direction the car is taking.<\/p>\n \u201cWe completed a solid programme with strong mileage, which is the main priority at this stage.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still very early days and we have a lot of work still to do before we head to Melbourne in March.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n