Fernando Alonso will start the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix from the pit lane after Aston Martin changed power unit components in the back of his AMR26. The move comes after he qualified P22 and last for his home race, turning an already difficult Saturday into a full pit lane start.
The change matters now because it alters the opening order for one of the headline races on the F1 calendar 2026. Alonso, a two-time grand prix winner, was also outqualified by Lance Stroll in a grand prix grid-setting session for the first time since the British Grand Prix in 2024, ending a 42-round run that had kept him ahead of his team-mate across qualifying.
Aston Martin swapped in a fourth MGU-K, energy store and control electronics to Alonso's car. Only three of each component are allowed across the campaign, so the latest change pushes beyond the permitted seasonal limit and explains why the team has accepted the pit lane start rather than keeping the original grid slot. The rest of the grid currently remains unchanged from qualifying, which means Alonso is the clear outlier in an otherwise settled order.
That choice leaves one question hanging over the day: why Aston Martin decided the component change was worth giving up the grid position after Alonso had already qualified last. The provisional order still has to be officially confirmed by the FIA, but unless that changes, Alonso's home race will begin with him chasing from the pit lane instead of lining up on the grid.
