Fernando Alonso remains confident in Honda power unit despite difficult Monza practice
Formula1.com • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 4, 2026, 7:14 PM
Last updated Sep 4, 2026

Aston Martin struggled during Friday's practice sessions at the Italian Grand Prix, with Fernando Alonso finishing 19th in the FP2 classification. The team, dealing with a revised Honda power unit, ended the session 2.468 seconds behind George Russell. Aston Martin staff acknowledged that Monza’s long straights were expected to expose weaknesses in the current vehicle package. Despite the poor lap times, Alonso expressed 100% faith in Honda's development trajectory and commitment to improving driveability. Honda's engineers confirmed they are applying updates to combustion characteristics following data gathered at Zandvoort. The team aims to close the performance gap with other manufacturers within the next two to three years.
- •Fernando Alonso finished 19th in the second practice session at Monza.
- •The AMR26 was 2.468 seconds off the pace set by George Russell.
- •Honda has implemented combustion changes to address driveability concerns observed in the Netherlands.
- •Aston Martin team officials indicated the performance deficit was expected at this specific circuit.
"Monza's long straights could expose weaknesses in Aston Martin's package, but Fernando Alonso insists he has "100%" faith that Honda will deliver.
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