Backmarker seeks recovery

Aston Martin is the backmarker of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Coming into the new regulations era the British team was surrounded by hype around Adrian Newey and a Honda power unit that powered Red Bull to six world titles between 2021 and 2024.

But the AMR26 arrived late to the first preseason test, suffered reliability issues and a lack of spare engine parts in Bahrain, and then faced a significant engine-battery shortage and severe vibration problem at the Australian GP opener that drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll feared could cause permanent nerve damage.

Honda introduced changes to lessen vibrations but the performance gap grew, with newcomer Cadillac quickly passing Aston at the foot of the constructors’ championship.

Hungary package

The team introduced its first major chassis upgrade package in Hungary. In its upgrade Aston altered 16 areas of the car, with a big focus on making new parts lighter than those they replace.

“The first races have been a complete nightmare,” Newey, who is also Aston’s team principal, said Friday. “Hopefully, we can get at least (another) point and respectability now. That is the immediate goal.”

Newey revealed the team did not start serious work on the 2026 car until mid-March 2025 and did not get a model into the wind tunnel until mid-April, leaving it months behind rivals. The AMR26 was also overweight, partly due to the engine and partly due to chassis weight saving.

On Friday in Budapest Alonso was 13th in FP1, 2.5 seconds off the pace, while Stroll’s left-rear suspension broke and he missed FP2. Newey said provisional results were promising but it is very early days. “We’ll have some more steps in Zandvoort and then further in Monza and Baku,” he said.

Alonso’s future linked to car feel

The upgrade is also important for Alonso’s future. The 44-year-old has suggested driving the upgraded Aston will help him figure out whether he wants to keep racing in F1 in 2027.

“It’s not a problem with the competitiveness of the team. It’s just a problem of whether F1 gives me the adrenaline that I need to live,” Alonso said ahead of Budapest. He has said his decision for next year is more about the rules and whether classic tracks return to their glory after the new engines run out of electrical power quickly.