Alonso enjoyed a renaissance when he joined Aston Martin in 2023, scoring eight podiums. Aston Martin have invested heavily over the past couple of years, led by billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll. The signing of Adrian Newey as Managing Technical Partner should mean Aston Martin are close to the front of the F1 grid. Their competitiveness will also depend on the Honda power unit, as Aston Martin cut ties with Mercedes at the end of 2025. Aston Martin confirmed that gravel picked up on Lap 1 ultimately led to the failure.