Aston Martin reveal first details of update to its troubled 2026 F1 car

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey has confirmed the team's critical major upgrade package will arrive at the Hungarian Grand Prix, one race before the Formula 1 summer shutdown. 

Aston Martin may have scored a single point this season and thus lifted itself off the foot of the constructors' standings, but on pure pace, it has been comfortably the slowest team in recent weeks. This was highlighted in qualifying for last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, when Fernando Alonso was almost a second slower than Valtteri Bottas, the next slowest driver, yet proclaimed his effort a "good lap" and told the team "we're getting closer". 

As rival outfits have brought gradual upgrades, Aston Martin elected to instead chase a larger package that would be introduced in a single hit, accepting that this would result in a painful few months of on-track results. 

Speaking via an Aston Martin UNCUT interview, Newey confirmed: "We plan to introduce our upgrade in Hungary on both cars."

Asked if the upgrade was tantamount to a new car, or was just a heavy evolution, he added: "The main structural elements remain the same – the chassis and gearbox architecture don't fundamentally change – but we've taken weight out of both, which required re-homologating and crash testing the forward chassis.

"The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension is slightly revised. We've developed a new nose and substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces. So, while the core structure is similar, it's a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction. The target is to get very close to the weight limit."

Aston Martin hopes for major F1 upgrade

Ferrari and Red Bull have recently shown how a major upgrade package can push a team forward, but such is the distance that Aston Martin has fallen behind, that this would need to be a seismic package to even move forward into the midfield.

"We're predicting a large step, but I'm reluctant to put specific numbers out there because our simulation tools aren't yet as sophisticated or well correlated as they need to be," said Newey. 

"Historically, at this team, there hasn't been enough investment in engineering simulation tools – not just project management systems, but the core physics tools themselves. We're putting that investment in now, but you don't rewrite and validate those tools overnight. Correlating them properly with the real car takes time.

"At the moment, they're improving, but the real gains from that work will come later in the year."

Alonso has been repeatedly questioned about his future in recent weeks, with the driver confirming his commitment to win world title with Aston Martin, even if this is not as a driver. However, both he and team-mate Lance Stroll have voiced their concerns at a lack of progress with the car of late, making clear their dislike of lapping at the foot of the order. 

"Both drivers have shown frustration, and at times that has spilt into the media," Newey continued. "But it's also understandable. They're competitive animals. They want to fight at the front.

"I've had a lot of conversations with both of them about where we are, where we're going."

Asked specifically about Alonso's situation, which the Spaniard hopes to have resolved by the summer break, Newey said: "It's very important. Fernando is really looking forward to the upgrade and, if it performs we hope he'll be in the cockpit for another season.

"Given his experience, his feel for the car, his ability to guide development, he's a tremendous asset. But he wants to see clear, tangible progress. If we can show that we're moving decisively in the right direction, he's absolutely committed to being behind the wheel."