"This is our situation until around the summer break," claims Alonso after double retirement for Aston Martin

Aston Martin’s already difficult Barcelona‑Catalunya Grand Prix weekend ended in the worst possible way: with both cars retiring before the chequered flag.

Lance Stroll was called into the pits early with a gearbox problem, while Fernando Alonso — fighting hard in front of his home crowd — later pulled off onto the grass with a battery failure. For a team already struggling for performance, the double DNF was another heavy blow in a season defined by technical setbacks.

Stroll’s race ended first. After reporting shifting issues, the Canadian was instructed to box the car to prevent further damage.

“I had to retire the car because of a gearbox issue; I couldn't get third or fourth gear for the last couple of laps,” Stroll explained. “We’ll investigate it further after the race.

"We have a lot of things to work on, and we're focussing on our upgrade package which is due around summer break. Until then, we know things will continue to be difficult.”

Alonso, meanwhile, managed to complete a long opening stint and even engaged in a spirited fight with Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez. But the optimism was short‑lived.

Moments after rejoining on a fresh set of hard tyres, he coasted to a halt on the grass — to the audible disappointment of the Spanish fans.

“We had an issue with the battery and had to retire the car,” Alonso said. “We are struggling with our performance, and we know this is our situation until around the summer break.

The support from the fans has been incredible this weekend and I want to thank them for everything. Unfortunately, we couldn’t give them what they wanted.”

For Alonso, who had already endured a painful qualifying session, the retirement capped off a home weekend dominated by mechanical limitations rather than racing opportunity.

Aston Martin’s Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack summarised the situation bluntly: the team simply did not have the reliability or performance to compete.

“A difficult weekend came to an end with a DNF for both cars. Lance reported a gearbox issue, whilst Fernando had to stop due to a problem with the battery. We’ll now regroup and look ahead to Spielberg.”

Krack also made a point of acknowledging the fans, whose support remained strong despite the team’s struggles.

“I want to thank all the Aston Martin Aramco fans here — it was nice to see all the green in the grandstands and we really appreciate the support. We’ll keep pushing hard to hopefully give you more to cheer about in future races.”

Aston Martin have been open about their development timeline: the major upgrade package is not expected until around the summer break. Until then, both drivers and team leadership acknowledge that weekends like Barcelona may continue.

The AMR26’s issues — from energy deployment to gearbox reliability and aerodynamic inconsistency — have repeatedly undermined race execution. Barcelona was simply the latest chapter in a season where the team is fighting to stay afloat rather than fighting for points.