Fernando Alonso was not able to run during first practice in Melbourne because of problems with his car
Aston Martin's dire situation before the first race of the season was laid bare when they finished practice 4.9 seconds off the pace.
And team principal Adrian Newey revealed that all the problems had left their legendary driver Fernando Alonso in a "hard mental place".
The continuing issues around the team are one of the biggest stories of the new season, particularly as their signing of design great Newey and engine partnership with Honda had created great expectations for 2026.
But Aston Martin, who ended the first day of practice for the Australian Grand Prix nearly five seconds off the pace having done only 17 laps, remain beset by continuing reliability problems with their Honda engine which are preventing any meaningful running.
