Fernando Alonso to start Spanish GP from pit lane after power unit changes

A pit lane start compounds what is already a difficult home farewell for Alonso, who has struggled for pace at a circuit where Aston Martin's weaknesses are well exposed. Power unit component changes triggering a pit lane penalty suggest the team is also managing reliability concerns, which adds another layer to an already complicated weekend. For a driver in his final Barcelona appearance, the optics are hard — but the sporting reality is that taking penalties now rather than later can be a calculated call when grid position is already compromised. How Alonso recovers through the race will say more about where the AMR26 actually stands than qualifying did.