Despite a host of new parts for the AMR26, Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey emphasizes that the car’s upgrade package is still in its early stages
According to Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey, the extensive upgrades to the AMR26 in Hungary are just “part of the package.” Further steps are set to follow in Monza and Baku, Newey says. Additionally, a new Honda engine is planned for Zandvoort.
“It’s an evolution because the chassis is the same,” the engineer explains ahead of the race weekend. “The layout is the same, and the front suspension also remains identical. So it’s primarily an aerodynamic evolution.”
In total, Aston Martin has brought sixteen different upgrades to Hungary. However, despite the number of new parts, Newey does not want to set specific goals. “I think these are a few big steps, but we still have a lot to figure out.”
“Do we have the fastest car thanks to [the upgrades]? Unfortunately not. But does it represent a step forward for us compared to where we were before? Yes, I think so.”
Newey sees the fact that Aston Martin was able to test its current car in the wind tunnel significantly later than its competitors as the root of many problems. “We decided—whether right or wrong—to wait two more weeks until we could use our wind tunnel, rather than working in Brackley for a short time only to move again,” he explained.
“That was the schedule behind it. I’d say it was a major build-up process. As a result, we were a little behind on everything. But you just do what you can.”
Newey, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, and Lawrence Stroll had certainly imagined the start of the new Formula 1 era would be completely different.
From the start of the season, the AMR26 struggled not only with major reliability issues but also with a lack of pace. At Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone, the team even had significant trouble keeping up with newcomer Cadillac. Nevertheless, the team sits in tenth place in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of the new team.
“The first few races were an absolute nightmare,” explains Newey. “Hopefully, we can now regain a little prestige. That’s the medium-term goal, and after that, we can try to move further up the standings.”
The free practice sessions in Hungary likely didn’t do much to help the team’s reputation. As a result, Aston Martin remains a backmarker at the Hungaroring. Furthermore, Stroll was unable to participate in the second free practice session at all because his suspension had failed during the previous session.
According to Newey, however, the problem wasn’t with the new upgrade package. “ “The affected area wasn’t modified,” explains the team principal. “We’re short on spare parts because the bodywork is a little different there.”
“So,” he explains, “we changed a few small things in that area, but in that sense, this really comes as a surprise. Until we have a better understanding of it, it’s hard to comment.”