Aston Martin posts best 2026 qualifying result at Sepang
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 3, 2026
Aston Martin breakthrough
Aston Martin produced its best qualifying result of the 2026 season at Sepang, and both cars reached Q2 for the first time this year. Fernando Alonso qualified 12th and Lance Stroll took 14th, giving Aston Martin a stronger qualifying result after a difficult start to the year. Both drivers advanced to Q2 on merit, then also benefited from penalties and non-attempted laps by other drivers. It was a tidy step forward for a team that had endured a difficult start to the year, and it gave Aston Martin a result it could point to as the weekend’s main gain. The team still had work to do, but the outcome marked a clear improvement in qualifying execution and in the way both cars handled the session. Sepang gave Aston Martin a rare moment to build on.
Alonso outlook
Alonso did not dress up the performance. He said the team had its best weekend in terms of car performance, but he also said the car was unchanged from the previous four rounds and that the underlying pace gap remained a problem. The Spaniard said Aston Martin was about 1.5 seconds off the front in Q2, and he called that the team’s closest gap of the season. Even with the better showing, Alonso said the car lacked straight-line speed and that Aston Martin could lose positions early in the race. He also dismissed realistic hopes of scoring points on Sunday, which underlined how much ground the team still has to cover even after the positive qualifying result. Alonso’s comments pointed to a clear divide between one good session and a deeper competitive problem that has not gone away. Aston Martin found a better window at Sepang, but Alonso said the package still did not give him enough speed. The result offered proof of progress, yet he made it clear that one improved qualifying run does not erase the limits that have defined the car through the year’s early rounds.
Stroll and support
Stroll saw a different side of the weekend. He said Sepang’s shorter straights and more corners suited the AMR26, and that fit helped Aston Martin make the most of the session. He also said the team would likely struggle again at tracks with long straights, which matched Alonso’s warning about the car’s weakness in straight-line speed. Team principal Mike Krack described the showing as a rare positive after a difficult start to the year, and Honda engineer Shintaro Orihara said the package was working as expected after energy-management and driveability improvements. That gave the team a technical reason for the step forward, beyond the plain numbers on the grid. The positive mood did not erase the concerns for Sunday. Aston Martin still faced heat, tire degradation and a possible late-rain threat on race day, so the team had little reason to treat the improved qualifying result as a finished story.
