Aston Martin is set to launch its AMR26 livery on Monday as it gears up for the 2026 Formula 1 season under new regulations. The team has undergone significant changes, including Adrian Newey taking a leadership role and switching to Honda power units. However, delays in development and high expectations pose key hurdles.
The 2026 Formula 1 season introduces sweeping changes to car chassis and power units, marking the biggest rules overhaul in the sport's history. To aid preparation, teams participated in a five-day private shakedown at Barcelona from January 26-30, followed by sessions in Bahrain on February 11-13 and 18-20, before the opener in Melbourne in March.
Aston Martin, based in Silverstone, unveiled special testing liveries during the Barcelona event but delayed its official AMR26 launch until Monday. The car bears clear influences from new technical director Adrian Newey, who joined in March 2025 and now leads the team following a management restructuring. This shift saw several engineers leave and former boss Andy Cowell transition to chief strategy officer amid reported disagreements on 2026 development.
Newey's design features include a unique endplate, sidepod configuration, and a radical front suspension with an inclined upper wishbone. Williams team principal James Vowles praised it, saying, “Adrian is just a creative designer. It’s really impressive what he’s done with wishbones in places that I don’t think they should be. But he’s done them. You’ll see it in our front wishbone. It’s slightly different, but where Adrian’s gone is very Adrian. Very impressive, very creative, very extreme. I wouldn’t want to be the designer for that one. Let’s put it that way.”
The team ends its 16-year Mercedes partnership for Honda engines, reuniting Newey with the supplier that powered Red Bull to four drivers' titles and two constructors' championships. Christian Horner noted, “We are a customer to Honda, we pay for engines through a separate entity of Red Bull Powertrains. It has been a great relationship and they continue to provide an excellent service that we pay for, to provide engines for the four cars.” As a works team, Aston Martin gains a tailored power unit.
Despite optimism, challenges loom. The team finished seventh in 2025 without a podium since the 2023 Brazilian Grand Prix. Newey revealed a four-month delay in the wind tunnel program, with rumors of an overweight car. Aston Martin joined the Barcelona shakedown late on day four, logging the least mileage. Its decline from early 2023 podium contention highlights development issues.
Mercedes driver George Russell acknowledged the potential: “At the moment it does look like Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and ourselves are, let’s say, the four teams that are all quite close within one another. But you can’t discount what you’ve seen from Aston Martin and what Adrian has done with that car.” Owner Lawrence Stroll's investments, including a new high-tech campus, fuel hopes for 2026 as a breakthrough year.
Fernando Alonso, 44, remains a key asset, delivering six podiums in eight 2023 races and a top-10 finish in 2025 despite a weaker car and teammate Lance Stroll. The goal is to challenge the top four for podiums, recapturing early 2023 form against dominant Red Bull.
