Aston Martin’s disappointing 2026 Formula 1 season cannot be blamed entirely on Honda’s lack of power. Although the Japanese manufacturer’s power unit has been one of the main factors holding the British team back, Adrian Newey has acknowledged that the original AMR26 design also suffered from aerodynamic weaknesses. The Aston Martin team principal has explained why the squad abandoned its high-rake concept during the season, moving away from a philosophy that had long been a defining feature of his Formula 1 cars.
The decision to rethink some of the AMR26’s fundamental design choices demonstrates that Aston Martin’s technical department has not been immune to mistakes. The team introduced significant changes during the championship in an attempt to address the car’s shortcomings, with its original aerodynamic philosophy emerging as one of the most important areas requiring reconsideration.
Adrian Newey admits Aston Martin’s original AMR26 concept had weaknesses
The Hungarian Grand Prix represented a crucial turning point in Aston Martin’s season, with the AMR26 receiving a substantial upgrade package. The developments changed more than the car’s aerodynamic appearance: they also altered how it ran on track. Most notably, Aston Martin moved away from its high-rake concept, which involves running the car with its nose lower than the rear to maximise diffuser performance. This approach has historically been one of the distinctive characteristics of Adrian Newey’s designs.
The scale of the changes reflected the team’s determination to address its problems, with the official 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix upgrade list detailing extensive modifications to the Aston Martin AMR26, including its floor, front wing, bodywork and diffuser.
Adrian Newey recently explained the reasoning behind Aston Martin’s decision to change its technical direction partway through the championship, revealing how the limited development time available before the original design was finalised influenced his initial thinking.
“When I arrived at the team, it was the beginning of March, and by that point almost no aerodynamic research had been done. Considering that the deadlines for freezing the major components were before the August break, while those for the bodywork, wings and so on were around November, we had a very short and intense period in which to carry out research.”
“I looked at the regulations and thought they were well suited to a high-rake solution, which is what we pursued. In reality, I think it had some strengths, but also certain weaknesses. We have now returned to what I would describe as a middle ground, which we feel is a good solution.”
The admission provides an important explanation for Aston Martin’s change of direction. The high-rake philosophy was not necessarily without potential, but the characteristics of the 2026 regulations meant that its advantages were accompanied by limitations that the team ultimately decided were too significant to ignore.
Why Adrian Newey initially chose a high-rake aerodynamic concept
A high-rake set-up involves running a Formula 1 car with a pronounced forward inclination, positioning the front of the car closer to the ground while raising the rear. The fundamental idea is that lifting the rear increases the effective exit area of the diffuser, strengthening its ability to draw airflow from beneath the floor. This accelerates the air travelling underneath the car and generates additional aerodynamic downforce.
For the concept to work effectively, however, the regulations must favour the particular aerodynamic relationships on which the philosophy depends. The front wing, for example, operates very close to the track surface, meaning the geometries permitted by the regulations must provide an aerodynamic benefit when the wing runs at such a low ride height.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella had already discussed this subject during the Italian Grand Prix, suggesting that the current regulations might not reward this approach to the same extent as previous technical frameworks.
“I cannot confirm it for intellectual property reasons, but perhaps this year there is not such a big advantage in running the front wing close to the ground. You will remember the Red Bull cars from 2010 and 2011, which ran with the wing producing sparks because there was a considerable advantage in having it run so low and close to the ground. There are aspects associated with ride heights that do not concern only how close the floor is to the ground.”
The comparison with the Red Bull cars of 2010 and 2011 is particularly relevant because those machines demonstrated how effective the high-rake philosophy could be when supported by suitable aerodynamic regulations. For Aston Martin in 2026, however, the same approach has not delivered the advantages Adrian Newey initially anticipated.
The diffuser problem behind Aston Martin’s high-rake difficulties
Another important characteristic of a high-rake configuration is the elevated rear ride height, which introduces aerodynamic challenges of its own. With the rear of the car raised, the diffuser becomes more exposed to turbulence and vortices generated by the rear wheels because its outer walls sit farther from the ground. Managing these disturbances is essential if the diffuser is to operate efficiently and consistently.
For a high-rake concept to work, the series of aerodynamic flaps mounted around the wheel assemblies must generate a vortex structure capable of effectively sealing the diffuser. This aerodynamic seal protects the airflow beneath the car from external interference, helping the diffuser maintain its performance despite the increased rear ride height.
Andrea Stella explained at Monza that the relationship between the floor and the aerodynamic components surrounding the wheels is particularly important. Changes in ride height can alter how these elements interact, affecting the amount of downforce generated by the car.
“Aerodynamics does not depend only on the floor or how close it is to the ground, but also on what are technically called relationships, for example the relationship between the floor and the winglets mounted on the wheels. This is because the wheel flaps remain at a fixed height, whereas if the floor moves, they become farther apart and the floor then works differently. At that point, the car can gain or lose downforce.”
The McLaren team principal further emphasised that aerodynamic performance depends on the interaction between several components rather than the behaviour of the floor alone.
“There are relationships between the geometric components of the car that depend on height, which is why overall performance depends on the proximity of the floor to the ground, but also on the effect that ride heights have on these geometric relationships.”
Aston Martin faces a difficult recovery after abandoning its original design
Overall, the 2026 technical regulations have not rewarded the high-rake concept that Adrian Newey originally proposed for Aston Martin. Although the philosophy offered certain strengths, its weaknesses ultimately led the team to adopt a more moderate solution as part of its efforts to improve the AMR26.
The change of direction also highlights the consequences of the limited aerodynamic research time available to Adrian Newey after joining the project in March 2025. Aston Martin entered the new regulatory era with an ambitious design philosophy but insufficient time to explore every aspect of its potential before the major components had to be finalised.
The Hungarian Grand Prix developments represented an important attempt to recover the situation, while subsequent Aston Martin upgrades at the Dutch Grand Prix continued the work started with the revised aerodynamic package.
Having reconsidered one of its fundamental design choices, Aston Martin must now recover the ground lost through its original aerodynamic concept. At the same time, the team remains dependent on Honda making comparable progress with its power unit. The disappointing performance of the AMR26 therefore reflects a combination of aerodynamic and engine-related limitations, leaving both sides of the project with considerable work to do.
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