Fernando Alonso retired his Aston Martin from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after reporting engine problems that left him losing significant speed on straights.

Fernando Alonso brought his Aston Martin into the pits on lap 20 of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after telling his race engineer he believed the car had an engine problem. The two-time world champion made the decision himself, radioing "I think we will box at the end of this lap. I'm sorry" after his engineer confirmed they could not resolve the issue during the race.

Alonso described losing around 1.5 seconds on the straights compared to other cars, calling the performance drop "anomalous." He had been battling with Valtteri Bottas in multiple overtaking exchanges before the problem became apparent, with Sergio Perez pulling away significantly after passing both drivers.

The retirement marked Alonso's sixth DNF of the 2026 season and left teammate Lance Stroll's earlier retirement due to suspected water pressure issues. Alonso acknowledged the team faced reliability problems beyond their control but urged both Aston Martin and Honda to improve performance.

Despite recent chassis and Honda engine upgrades that generated optimism during the Hungary and Zandvoort rounds, Aston Martin has suffered two double retirements in the last three races. The team currently sits tenth in the Constructors' standings with only Alonso's three points scored this season.