What happened: Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack said the back-to-back weekends in Monaco and Barcelona left the team with no illusions about the AMR26. He noted that two completely different circuits produced the same disappointing read on the car. Krack pointed to a deeper performance gap rather than a track-specific blip.

Why it matters: Krack identified Honda's power unit deficit as the clearest reason for the weak showings, but stressed the last two rounds gave little reason to believe the wider package is significantly better. That matters for an Aston Martin already bracing for a painful stretch before its upgrade, with expectations now tempered across the team.

What to watch: Watch whether Aston Martin's planned upgrade closes the gap, and how much of the deficit is pinned on the Honda power unit versus the chassis.