Aston Martin has finally confirmed when its long-awaited AMR26 2.0 will make its Formula 1 debut, with Adrian Newey revealing that the team’s first major upgrade package of the 2026 season is scheduled to arrive at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The comprehensive update is expected to feature a substantial weight reduction alongside extensive aerodynamic revisions, marking the first major evolution of a car that has struggled to meet expectations throughout the opening phase of the championship. Despite the disappointing results so far, Newey remains confident that the aerodynamic direction chosen by the Silverstone-based team was fundamentally the right one.
A difficult start despite enormous expectations
Aston Martin Racing has undoubtedly been one of the biggest disappointments of the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The team entered the year with enormous expectations after making major investments, recruiting some of the sport’s most respected engineers—including Adrian Newey and Enrico Cardile—and setting ambitious long-term goals following its acquisition just a few years ago.
Instead, the opening races have been a major setback.
The AMR26 has regularly found itself near the back of the field, often performing even below the newly arrived Cadillac team. Although the car introduced several unconventional technical ideas, none of them have delivered the level of performance expected at Silverstone.
The situation has been made even more difficult by Honda’s new power unit, which is believed to suffer from a significant power deficit compared to its rivals. The gap has reportedly been substantial enough to prompt the FIA to revise the ADUO percentage allocations.
Newey opens up about health struggles
Speaking in Aston Martin’s Undercut feature, Adrian Newey discussed both the team’s current situation and its plans for the remainder of the season. The legendary designer also admitted that he recently went through a difficult period with his health.
“I’m fine now, but it was a difficult period. As I said before, when it rains, it pours. To be honest, I wasn’t at 100 per cent last year either. I had to manage the balance between my health and my work much more carefully.”
AMR26 2.0 to arrive in Hungary
Across the opening eight Grands Prix, Aston Martin introduced virtually no significant updates for the AMR26. Instead, the team deliberately chose to focus all of its development resources on producing one major upgrade package, originally targeted for the summer.
Newey has now confirmed exactly when that package will make its competitive debut, effectively transforming the current car into what can be described as the AMR26 2.0.
“Our plan is to introduce the upgrades in Hungary on both cars,” said the engineer from Stratford-upon-Avon.
Major weight reduction and extensive aerodynamic changes
Providing more detail about the upcoming package, Newey explained where Aston Martin’s engineers have concentrated their efforts.
One of the primary objectives has been a significant reduction in weight, bringing the AMR26 much closer to Formula 1’s minimum regulatory weight limit. Alongside that, the team has developed a redesigned nose, revised aerodynamic surfaces and an updated rear suspension that could prove even more extreme than the current specification.
According to reports, the rear suspension arm connected to the rear wing support pillar has been raised even further than on the existing design. Additional aerodynamic refinements have also been introduced to reduce drag while increasing downforce.
“The main structural elements remain the same: the chassis and gearbox architecture have not changed substantially. However, we’ve managed to reduce the weight of both, which required a new homologation process and fresh front chassis crash tests.”
“The front suspension remains unchanged. The rear suspension has been slightly revised. We’ve developed a new nose and significantly modified the aerodynamic surfaces. So, while the underlying structure is similar, this is an important aerodynamic package combined with a substantial weight reduction. The goal is to get very close to the minimum regulatory weight limit.”
Simulation tools still limiting development
When asked about the expected performance gain from the upgrade package, Newey deliberately avoided giving any numerical estimates.
Although expectations are high, he admitted that Aston Martin’s current simulation tools are still not sufficiently advanced or accurately correlated with real-world performance to allow reliable predictions.
“We expect significant progress, but I’d rather not quote specific numbers because our simulation tools are not yet sophisticated enough or sufficiently correlated with reality as they should be.”
He also explained that Aston Martin had historically underinvested in its engineering simulation capabilities, leaving the team with important areas that now require significant development.
“Historically, this team hasn’t invested enough in engineering simulation tools. I’m not just referring to project management systems, but also to the fundamental physical simulation tools. We’re investing heavily in this area now, but you can’t rewrite and validate these tools overnight. Properly correlating them with the behaviour of the real car takes time.”
Newey concluded by stressing that progress is already being made, although the biggest rewards from these investments will only become evident later in the season.
“They’re improving at the moment, but the biggest benefits from this work will come later during the season,” Newey concluded.
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