Former Formula 1 driver Pedro de la Rosa has praised Aston Martin for refusing to be “demotivated” across the beginning of its difficult 2026 season.
The Silverstone-based squad went from midfield fighters to backmarker no-hopers across the winter, amid difficulties in the sport’s transition to its new, radical and electrified rulebook.
Its AMR26 machine was, per Team Principal Adrian Newey’s admission, late in its development compared to that of its rivals, accompanied by additional struggles from Honda, returning to F1 after a brief hiatus.
The Japanese marque’s power unit was not only carrying a significant performance deficit to others on the grid, but also causing significant vibrations to the car, causing both drivers to abandon it during races to avoid nerve damage.
But neither side has refused to be beaten by the weight of the issues piling on top of them, and with upgrades on both car and engine, Aston has begun to show improvements, with a Q2 showing in Hungary, and a points finish for Fernando Alonso in Holland.
Aston Martin ‘realises its true potential’
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Motorsport Week, de la Rosa, who acts as an Aston Martin ambassador, explained how knowledge of what improvements would be made as the season progressed helped the team’s personnel to keep their collective head held high.
“I think it’s credit to everyone in the team really that they kept their head down, working hard and having the faith and the confidence that we would turn it around,” he said. “I think that the people that work in this team realise our true potential.
“When you’re on the outside, you only see results. But inside the team, you see why you are where you are and what’s coming, what the team is working on. So I think that the morale was still high is not the words, because it was a tough moment.
“But there was the strong confidence that we would come back strong and that we were doing the right things in the factory. Knowing that you have a great campus, that you have great tools, you have great talent as well, has made it easier for all of us to remain united. And with full confidence that we are doing the right things.
“If you’re in a team where you don’t see the investment is enough or things are not going in the right direction, you start feeling demotivated.
“But there was not one member of this team that felt demotivated any time through the first half of the season.”
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