Aston Martin has admitted to making a major mistake by failing to properly involve its drivers during the development of the challenging AMR26. Neither Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll nor reserve driver Jak Crawford had a meaningful role in shaping the car’s development direction. Adrian Newey has now acknowledged the error, stressing that the team’s working methods have already changed for the remainder of the season.
Aston Martin’s disappointing 2026 season: how much did driver feedback matter?
Aston Martin entered the 2026 Formula 1 season expecting to become one of the teams capable of disrupting the competitive order. However, the results have painted a very different picture.
“The fact that the other teams have simply done a better job is undeniable,” Mike Krack admitted, before handing the discussion over to Adrian Newey.
Speaking at Silverstone, the legendary designer reflected on the atmosphere within the team, beginning with the frustration experienced by both race drivers.
“It has been extremely frustrating for Fernando and Lance not to be able to compete competitively because of all the problems we’ve had, both in terms of reliability and performance,” Newey told The Race.
Adrian Newey changes Aston Martin’s approach
Following Aston Martin’s decision to delay its major upgrade package until the middle of the season, Newey also decided it was time to give greater importance to the people responsible for turning the car’s potential into on-track performance.
“I felt it was my responsibility to explain in detail to Fernando and Lance exactly what we’re doing, what we’ve planned with the upgrade package and what our plans are for the 2027 season. Even if it might not seem like it, we’re listening very carefully to their feedback,” he said.
Newey also explained why Aston Martin deliberately avoided introducing significant upgrades during the first half of the campaign.
“It allowed us to take a step back, relieve some of the pressure, take a deep breath and truly understand our problems. In the medium term, we have this upgrade package that we hope to introduce in Hungary as the first phase, followed by a second phase at Zandvoort,” Newey concluded.
The comments suggest Aston Martin has fundamentally changed its development philosophy. After acknowledging that it underestimated the value of driver feedback during the AMR26 project, the Silverstone-based team now hopes that closer collaboration with Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and its engineering department will help accelerate its recovery over the remainder of the 2026 season and into 2027.
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