First entry1959 Dutch (2021 current team) / Races entered120 / Constructors’ titles0 / Drivers’ titles0 / 2026 carAMR26-Honda
The curious case of Aston Martin may just be coming good. While the British brand competed in Grand Prix Racing in 1959-1960, this incarnation is far removed from David Brown’s early efforts. Lawrence Stroll’s billions have transformed what was once Racing Point into a new-generation Goliath, complete with cutting-edge factory at Silverstone and oodles of resource.
“Perhaps Stroll’s biggest investment comes in the form of design genius Adrian Newey”
Perhaps Stroll’s biggest investment comes in the form of design genius Adrian Newey, whose megabucks transfer from Red Bull has been as long awaited as it has been expensive (reaching £150m, if reports are to be believed). The AMR26 is the First Newey Aston, and his knowledge can be key in F1’s new aero-heavy era. It’s no secret the team has under-achieved, going two seasons without a single podium and slipping to seventh in the Constructors’ standings last term. However, the extra wind tunnel mileage that will afford Newey and his crew could be the silver lining.
14
Fernando Alonso
Born July 1981, Spain
Starts 425
Wins 32 / Podiums 106 / Poles 22
Notable achievements World champion 2005–2006, 2018–19 FIA World Endurance champion, 2018 & 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours winner
18
Lance Stroll
Born October 1998, Canada
Starts 189
Wins 0 / Podiums 3 / Poles 1
Notable achievements 2016 FIA F3 champion, 2014 Italian F4 champion
‘Never been done before’: Newey on Aston Martin’s aggressive design direction
Adrian Newey’s first Aston Martin effort features some bold design choices, says Pablo Elizalde
Adrian Newey says that Aston Martin’s 2026 Formula 1 car features design elements that haven’t necessarily been done before , though the designer stopped short of definitively labelling the AMR26 as an aggressive interpretation of the new regulations.
Adrian Newey joined Aston Martin at a race weekend for the first time in Monaco, and it was clear to see how the team upped its game as a result, said Fernando Alonso
By
Pablo Elizalde
The eagerly anticipated car, the First Newey has designed for Aston, finally broke cover on the penultimate day of the Barcelona shakedown, emerging in an all-black livery with distinctive nose, sidepod and engine cover designs that immediately caught the paddock’s attention The AMR26 appeared to sport unique sidepod and engine cover designs compared to its rivals.
“The direction we’ve taken could certainly be interpreted as aggressive,” Newey said when asked about the team’s design philosophy in an interview. “It’s got quite a few features that haven’t necessarily been done before. Does that make it aggressive? Possibly. Possibly not.”
However, F1’s Most celebrated designer admitted that even he isn’t certain whether Aston Martin has struck upon the correct approach for the radically overhauled 2026 rulebook.
“In truth, with a completely new set of regulations, nobody is ever sure what the right philosophy is,” Newey explained. “We certainly aren’t sure what the best interpretation of the regulations is and therefore the best philosophy to follow.”
“Because of our compressed timescale, we decided on a particular direction and that’s the one we’ve pursued. Whether that proves to be the right one or not, only time will tell.”
That compressed timescale proved particularly challenging for Aston Martin, with 2026 marking the First time in F1 history that power unit and chassis regulations have changed simultaneously.
The team didn’t get a model into its wind tunnel until mid-April, approximately four months behind its rivals.
“Most, if not all of our rivals would have had a model in the wind tunnel from the moment the 2026 aero testing ban ended at the beginning of January last year,” Newey said. “That put us on the back foot by about four months, which has meant a very, very compressed research and design cycle.”
“Aerodynamics is the biggest single differentiator in Formula 1”
The delay explains why the AMR26 only appeared on the final two days of the Barcelona shakedown, with Newey acknowledging the car “only came together at the last minute”.
Despite the setbacks, Newey remains optimistic about the car’s development potential across the campaign.
“We’ve attempted to build something that we hope will have quite a lot of development potential,” he said. “What you want to try to avoid is a car that comes out quite optimised within its window but lacks a lot of development potential. We’ve tried to do the opposite of that.”
The team’s new wind tunnel, which Newey described as “probably the best wind tunnel in the world for Formula 1 application”, should prove crucial to that development race.
“Aerodynamics is the biggest single performance differentiator in Formula 1,” Newey noted. “Our principal research tool for that is the wind tunnel. It’s absolutely invaluable, and we are now reaping the rewards from it.”
As for whether the AMR26 will be competitive straight away in Melbourne, Newey was measured in his response, emphasising the importance of keeping “an open mind” as the season progresses.
What you see isn’t necessarily what you get. Aston’s new car is likely to evolve rapidly from the start of the season
“The AMR26 that races in Melbourne is going to be very different to the one people saw at the Barcelona shakedown, and the AMR26 that we finish the season with in Abu Dhabi is going to be very different to the one that we start the season with,” he said.
