(Motorsport-Total.com) – Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Günther Steiner has delivered a scathing assessment of Aston Martin’s performance at the Barcelona Grand Prix, calling the current season “unacceptable.”
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In the Red Flags Podcast, Steiner does not mince words when asked about his biggest disappointment of the race weekend in Barcelona. The team from Silverstone experienced a disastrous time, struggled with pace, and to make matters worse, triggered a virtual safety car in the final phase of the race when Fernando Alonso rolled out on the track.
“I think it has to be Aston Martin, because Aston Martin even makes Cadillac look good – and Cadillac was three laps down at the end of a race,” said Steiner. “But it made Cadillac look good. What Aston Martin is delivering at the moment is simply not acceptable in my opinion.”
He adds: “That no longer corresponds to Formula 1 standards. It’s like putting the local racer from next door there. You’re last, but miles behind, and then you don’t even see the checkered flag.”
When asked whether Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali should or could intervene, Steiner adds: “Stefano can’t do anything about it. They are there and obviously not delivering, and I hardly think Lawrence Stroll is proud of what’s happening there right now.”
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“But ultimately, the responsibility of course lies with him. He owns the team, but that’s just how it goes. Stefano is not authorized to do anything. He has no leverage to say when they can come in, when not, what they do or how they perform.”
“In Formula 1, there is no relegation rule in the regulations. In most other sports, after all: If you don’t deliver performance, then you get relegated,” said Steiner. Despite the harsh criticism, he rejected the idea that team owner Lawrence Stroll lacks commitment.
“It’s not because Lawrence Stroll isn’t trying,” he emphasizes. “I think there are very few people who have put as much of their own money into Formula 1 as Lawrence has. But obviously, he just can’t get it together.”
Aston Martin is struggling massively since the new rules for 2026 were introduced. Currently, the team is in tenth place in the constructors’ standings with one point – just ahead of newcomer Cadillac.
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