Newey: Aston Martin upgrade aims for respectability first
Adrian Newey's initial verdict on Aston Martin's Hungarian Grand Prix update package is cautiously upbeat: provisional results are "promising," yet the team's immediate goal is getting to "a point of respectability" after what he called a complete nightmare start to the 2026 season. The squad rolled out a major 16-part aerodynamic evolution at the Hungaroring as the first step in a wider upgrade plan.
Key Takeaways
- Newey said early Hungary running looks promising, but respectability is the immediate goal.
- Aston Martin's package is mainly an aerodynamic evolution, with more steps planned for Zandvoort, Monza and Baku.
- Fernando Alonso said the upgraded car felt more glued and easier to drive, matching expectations.
- Lance Stroll's FP1 ended with a suspected left-rear suspension failure; he missed FP2.
Aston Martin have spent 2026 near the back of the field after the AMR26 and Honda power unit failed to live up to expectations. For more motorsport and mystery coverage on BlasterPost, browse our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries hub.
What did Newey say about the Aston Martin upgrade?
Speaking in Friday's team representative press conference in Hungary, Newey stressed it was "very early days" in understanding the package. Still, he called the provisional results promising.
He also framed the Budapest kit as only the opening move. "It's only part of the package. We'll have some more steps in [Zandvoort], and then further steps in Monza and Baku," he said, according to Formula 1.
On goals, Newey said he prefers solving problems and building culture over target-setting. Asked if the nightmare could end, he replied: "Hopefully! These first races have been a complete nightmare." Respectability, he added, is the immediate aim before pushing further forward.
How big is the Hungary update package?
The FIA pre-weekend submission listed a reported 16 updates. Newey described the work as an aerodynamic evolution: the chassis, layout and front suspension stay the same.
He linked the need for the package to limited research time before the car launched in Barcelona in January. The team, he said, had to step back, understand the issues, then move forward with this kit. Parts remain scarce, so Aston Martin are being careful while they learn.
Alonso finished FP1 13th, 2.4 seconds off the pace. In FP2 he was 19th on the timesheet but lost a significantly faster lap to a track-limits breach, with traffic and a red flag also disrupting running.
Did the upgraded car feel better for Alonso?
"It was much better," Alonso said. He described a car that felt more glued to the ground and easier to drive when grip was under control—more predictable, though still "a long way to go."
He called the Hungary chassis step the first move, with Honda's expected major engine upgrade due at Zandvoort after the summer break. The most encouraging part, he said, was correlation: what the team thought the package would do "actually translated into reality on track."
What happened to Lance Stroll in practice?
Stroll spun between Turns 2 and 3 in FP1 with a suspected rear-left suspension issue and could not be repaired in time for FP2. Newey said the team was "feverishly trying to understand" the failure and that the area involved had not been changed, making the stoppage "very unexpected," though cladding and minor related changes left the team short on spares.
Analyst Gary Anderson, judging from photos for The Race, suggested the failure may involve bonding delamination on a highly loaded rear-suspension component, while stressing there was no formal conclusion yet.