Adrian Newey says the Aston Martin AMR26B’s encouraging simulator-to-track correlation has confirmed that the team is following the right development path. The heavily revised car made its debut at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, and further upgrades are already planned for Zandvoort before additional steps at Monza and Baku.
The Hungaroring effectively marked the beginning of a new phase in Aston Martin’s season. The AMR26B featured 16 updated components compared with the car used during the first half of the championship, creating a package that represents only the opening stage of the Silverstone team’s attempted recovery. Its debut produced encouraging signs that were welcomed by both the drivers and senior management.
Aston Martin AMR26B gives the Stroll family renewed optimism
The first indications provided by the AMR26B package in Budapest restored a degree of cautious optimism within Aston Martin. Team owner Lawrence Stroll was particularly pleased with the progress and praised the work completed at the factory.
“We have clearly made a huge step forward, and it is only one of many that will come. For that reason, I am really very satisfied. I have to thank all the women and men at the factory for their hard work in making this progress possible,” Lawrence Stroll told Sky Sports UK.
Lance Stroll also felt the improvement from inside the cockpit. The Canadian finished 13th, ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso, and was once again able to compete close to the midfield after Aston Martin’s difficult opening half of the campaign.
“I felt good in the car, and it was nice to have the feeling that we were racing again. We are not yet where we would like to be, so there is still more work to do, but now we are in the group and fighting,” Lance Stroll said.
“The more laps we complete with this package, the more performance we will be able to extract from it. It is the most encouraging upgrade we have had for a very long time, and we have more coming for Zandvoort, so it is positive to see that we are moving in the right direction.”
Adrian Newey praises Aston Martin AMR26B correlation
Adrian Newey offered a pragmatic assessment of the developments introduced at the Hungaroring. The most important factor for the British engineer was that the performance observed on the circuit corresponded with Aston Martin’s forecasts, suggesting that the team’s updated simulation tools are producing reliable data.
“It is clear that we have taken a very encouraging first step forward with this upgrade, and the progress made is a great credit to the hard work of the entire team at Silverstone,” Adrian Newey said.
“Another positive aspect is that the performance was in line with the predictions from our data, showing good correlation between our updated simulation tools and the track. This is a solid indication that we are on the right development path in both the short and long term.”
The assessment follows the encouraging first verdict delivered by Fernando Alonso on the AMR26B, which has given Aston Martin a more competitive foundation for the second half of the season.
More Aston Martin upgrades planned for Zandvoort
As he had already done during Friday’s press conference in Budapest, Adrian Newey confirmed that another set of developments is scheduled to arrive at the Dutch Grand Prix.
“With the valuable information gathered today, we have a concrete foundation on which to build when we return from the summer break, with further updates planned for Zandvoort,” the British engineer explained.
The power unit and its performance remain another important part of Aston Martin’s recovery programme. Fernando Alonso had previously stressed how vital Honda’s contribution would be during the second half of the campaign as the team works to realise the potential of its revised car and strengthen its longer-term prospects. The Spaniard has also made his commitment to Aston Martin’s project increasingly clear.
Honda promises more power and improved lap time
Honda chief trackside engineer Shintaro Orihara has offered reassurance on the powertrain front by confirming that further horsepower and performance gains are coming. “We will gain lap time, that is certain,” Shintaro Orihara said.
The technical direction established with the AMR26B now allows Aston Martin to quantify more precisely what is required to close its remaining deficit. Adrian Newey and the Silverstone factory have consequently drawn up an intensive development roadmap, including further chassis and engine integration updates for Zandvoort and another evolutionary step between Monza and Baku.
Following the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, Aston Martin can therefore enter the summer break with tangible evidence that its recent work is translating to the circuit. The AMR26B remains only the first stage of the team’s recovery, but its debut has provided a credible platform for the upgrades still to come.
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