F1 2026 regs “bigger challenge for Aston Martin than for other teams”

Aston Martin claim the F1 2026 regulations will pose them a bigger challenge than it will for their rivals.

Formula 1 will evolve next year with a new era of rules surrounding the aerodynamics, chassis and engines.

Aston Martin completed the huge coup of signing car designer Adrian Newey to oversee their development.

The new generation of cars, which should be more nimble due to the regulations, offer every team on the grid a big chance to kick-start a dominant era.

Aston Martin have an impressive Silverstone facility plus the know-how of Newey, who oversaw Red Bull’s dominant period which put Max Verstappen in charge of F1.

But they insist that they will face bigger hurdles than their F1 rivals to adapt.

"Given where we are on our journey, the 2026 regulation change is perhaps a bigger challenge for Aston Martin Aramco than it is for other teams,” said their executive technical director, Bob Bell.

“There are many pieces of the puzzle we need to put together to be ready for 2026.

"We're almost a brand-new team – our team is almost unrecognisable from the team it was when Aston Martin returned to the sport in 2021: we've had a significant increase in headcount; we're transitioning to be a works team; and we have these wonderful, cutting-edge new facilities... but we have to bring them all online.

“These things need to be refined, they need to be optimised, they have to be fully debugged. That takes time and a lot of effort. It isn't just a case of turning them on and starting work.

"Up until very recently, we used the Mercedes wind tunnel in Brackley, a few miles down the road from the AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone. That wind tunnel was built a long time ago, it's completely debugged, it's fully optimised, it's working at the peak of its capability.

“To bring our brand-new tunnel up to that standard in a short space of time will be difficult.

“That's all running in the background alongside developing a 2026 car. We also have a brand-new engine partner. We're very excited to be partnering with Honda as a works team, and I couldn't think of a better engine manufacturer to be entering into 2026 with.

"There are new elements of the package that our team will have to produce. Take the transmission: the last time this team developed its own gearbox was in 2008. We'll be creating new rear suspension, our own pit equipment and various pieces of software.

“Many things that we currently source from Mercedes as a customer will go away and we have to do them for ourselves.

"The philosophy is that you're not going to beat someone if you’re using their kit, as they will always have a lead on you, but getting ourselves ready to be a works team is a huge undertaking – and opportunity – and makes preparing for 2026 much broader than 'simply' building a new car.

“That's the tip of the iceberg. The stuff under the water is vast."

Aston Martin focus on 2026 despite tough start this year

Aston Martin have endured a difficult start to the 2025 F1 season.

Lance Stroll is 10th in the F1 standings, while Fernando Alonso has unusually not scored a point yet.

“We just simply lack pace – we've been slow all season so far and [the F1 Miami Grand Prix] wasn't any exception,” Stroll said last weekend after finishing 16th.

“With an uneventful race and no opportunities, it just shows how we're not competitive and need to look at improving the car in all areas.”

Team principal Andy Cowell said: “Under normal dry conditions we don't have a car capable of competing for points right now.

“We need to continue to analyse where we can improve and work hard to be more competitive in Imola.”

But Aston Martin admit that their focus is on next year’s regulation change.

"There is a balance to be struck between how you split resources for 2025 and 2026,” Bell said.

“This is never easy, irrespective of the regulations. The most important thing – probably – is 2026.

“This is the decision we took last year, and consequently, we carried over a lot of componentry from the AMR24 into the AMR25 so that we don't have to spend a lot of time redesigning and remanufacturing components for what would be very marginal gains.

"The AMR25 is a completely renewed vehicle in aerodynamic terms – but the hardware under the skin, items that traditionally we would redesign – has been carried over.

“I suspect every team has taken a similar approach. We will also carefully manage the amount of in-season development we do – our resources are better allocated to 2026 because next year represents a far better opportunity for the team to progress up the competitive order."