Fernando Alonso 'saved' Aston Martin after difficult Dutch GP weekend, says Guenther Steiner

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands – Round 16 of the 2026 season ended with a familiar paradox for Aston Martin: the AMR25 finished 9th while starting from 19th. But a look at the lap time sheets reveals a harsher truth. Fernando Alonso, at 43, completed 72 laps at Zandvoort with a bold one-stop strategy, overtaking 10 positions to score 2 valuable points. Guenther Steiner, former Haas team principal, called it 'a Fernando special' – but that also means the British team is completely dependent on a driver who is on the other side of his career slope. The context of this weekend was not simple. Aston Martin brought the Honda power unit upgrade to the Netherlands – an unusual move for a team still using a Mercedes chassis. This was the first time Honda components appeared on a non-Red Bull car since the Japanese manufacturer withdrew from F1 in 2026. Not only that, the team also introduced the B-spec car from the Hungarian Grand Prix. These two upgrade packages were expected to create a performance leap, but the result at Zandvoort was a shock: both drivers were eliminated in qualifying, starting P18 (Lance Stroll) and P19 (Alonso). In the sprint, they also finished P17 and P18. These numbers show that the car is still at the back of the grid, not a midfield contender as initially expected. But the real story is not about starting positions or final standings; it lies in how the car behaved on track. Alonso described the car having serious engine control problems: 'The downshifts and engine braking seem a little bit random, corner by corner.' This is a classic symptom of incomplete new engine integration – Mercedes chassis electronics and Honda engine control systems are not 'talking' to each other smoothly. This is not a hardware flaw but a software issue, fixable, but requiring track time and dyno correlation. Additionally, Alonso admitted: 'We still lose a lot on the straights. Now that we are more or less competitive in the corners, we need to improve that.' This trade-off between corner speed and straight-line speed is a major issue. On a circuit with many corners like Zandvoort, improving corner performance can help, but if you lose the advantage on the straights, the car will struggle on high-speed circuits. This shows that the current upgrade package has not achieved optimal balance. Steiner, who was present in the technical area at Zandvoort, made a sharp observation: 'Aston Martin is worse off than the three backmarker teams. They are really the slowest team on this circuit.' He also admitted that he and many others had 'overreacted to their resurgence' based on late-2026 form and the announcements about hiring Adrian Newey and the Honda engine deal. However, the outcome of this weekend was not a total disaster. Alonso, with a one-stop strategy, maximized the chaos of the first lap – when Max Verstappen crashed and Lance Stroll was damaged in a collision – to climb into a points-scoring position. Steiner emphasized: 'This was a Fernando special, doing it with one stop. That saved them.' He added: 'He overtook faster cars, and that shows his talent is still intact.' But this strategy also masks the reality that the car still lacks genuine pace. A P9 from P19 reflects driver excellence, not car strength. Interestingly, Alonso remains remarkably calm. He said: 'I trust Silverstone and Sakura. They are the best people. I'm not worried; I'm relaxed.' This statement can be interpreted in several ways. It could be a calculated message: publicly backing the technical team while sending a signal to the driver market that he remains committed to the project. It could also be a way to manage expectations: he admits 'we're still not in the place we want to be' but does not let frustration take over. This is masterful veteran media management. But looking further ahead, the Zandvoort weekend is a clear signal of Aston Martin's strategy for the 2026 season: this is a 'sacrifice season' to prepare for the 2026 revolution. Bringing the Honda engine to the car this season may not be aimed at immediate competition, but rather at collecting data and early correlation for the transition to the works Honda engine in 2026. This explains why the team accepts a poor season: they are betting on the future. 10th place in the constructors' standings, with only 3 points – all scored by Alonso – brings a strategic advantage: under F1's Aerodynamic Testing Restriction (ATR) regulations, the lowest-ranked team gets the most wind tunnel and CFD time for developing the 2026 car. However, the dependence on Alonso is a major issue. Lance Stroll has yet to score a point, and having only one driver scoring makes the team extremely fragile. If Alonso has a problem, the entire season collapses. This also raises questions about Stroll's position in the team. With the team investing heavily in the future and a 43-year-old driver scoring all the points, questions about the second driver's capability will grow louder. But with Stroll being the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll, his seat is almost untouchable. On the technical side, the random downshift issues Alonso described are a worrying sign. They show that the integration between Mercedes electronics and Honda control systems is incomplete, and if this problem persists into 2026, the works-Honda advantage could become a liability. But there is a silver lining: the car shows better tire management in long-run conditions, which explains why the one-stop strategy worked. This indicates the problem is not tire degradation but single-lap pace – a sign of downforce deficit. Steiner also offered an interesting perspective on how the market overreacted to Aston Martin. 'We overreacted to their resurgence,' he said. This could be due to the team creating a strong media narrative with announcements about Newey, Honda, and the new factory. But the truth on track is harsh: the car has not shown commensurate progress. This raises questions about the effectiveness of consecutive upgrade packages this season. Looking ahead, the biggest question is whether Aston Martin can complete the Honda engine integration on schedule for 2026. Alonso puts his trust in Silverstone and Sakura, but F1 history is full of examples of failed engine transitions. With Red Bull and Honda having parted ways in 2026, returning as a works partner is a bold move for both parties. The success of this project will depend on solving current technical issues and ensuring they do not breach cost cap regulations – a potential risk when spending on both fixing the 2026 car and developing the 2026 car. Ultimately, the small victory at Zandvoort is a reminder that in F1, a driver's greatness can mask a team's fundamental problems. Alonso 'saved' his team on Sunday, but the big question remains: can he continue to do so for the rest of the season, and can Aston Martin turn this season's sacrifice into a bright 2026 future? The answer lies in engine data, sponsorship contracts, and the decisions of the technical team at the new factory in Silverstone. The 2026 season may be a transition season, but with a driver like Alonso, nothing is certain. He is still there, still driving with the determination of a young person, still capable of creating magic moments. But whether a car half a second slower per lap than the leading group can be saved by a smart strategy – the answer lies in the upcoming races, where engine control issues will be put to the test again.