Aston Martin AMR26 and the Adrian Newey-inspired rear suspension derived from the Red Bull RB19. The Aston Martin AMR26 features a radical rear suspension concept.

F1 | Aston Martin: the suspension anchored to the pylon originates from the Red Bull RB19

The AMR26 has generated significant curiosity since its very first laps: Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin features an extreme rear suspension layout that the British design genius had already partly tested on the Red Bull RB19 back in 2023. The solution developed in Milton Keynes delivered positive results, and with a pronounced rake setup it could prove even more effective.

Adrian Newey aims to impress as he always does. Many consider him primarily an aerodynamicist, yet he is also a highly refined engineer who pays meticulous attention to mechanical design. A clear example emerged when observing the first images of the Aston Martin AMR26, which arrived in Barcelona yesterday to begin collective testing. The Silverstone-based team’s car is intriguing in many different areas, but it immediately drew widespread attention for the drastic choices made in terms of suspension architecture.

The “green car”, still appearing in bare carbon-black form, was unveiled with a push-rod layout both at the front and at the rear. At the front, the AMR26 features a multi-link suspension with the rear arm not only sloping sharply downwards but also set at a very open angle. And while McLaren and Red Bull have abandoned steering positioned behind the lower wishbone, Adrian Newey has decided, like Ferrari, to stick with this solution. It is slightly heavier, but it can offer aerodynamic advantages.

However, the main focus of attention has been the rear suspension. Aston Martin, which had previously relied on Mercedes-supplied rear-end components such as the gearbox and suspension, was instead required to design its own transmission casing and kinematics after switching to an exclusive Honda power unit. Adrian Newey therefore seized the opportunity to design a rear suspension concept that immediately attracted considerable interest.

For aerodynamic reasons, he raised the rear arm of the upper wishbone, anchoring it directly to the pylon that supports the rear wing. This is an extreme solution that subjects the pylon–arm assembly to very high combined loads, albeit without raising safety concerns. Newey had already explored this concept, in his own way, at Red Bull with the RB19.

Back in 2023, there were no twin supports. Instead, the single carbon pylon was held by a “ring-like” structure beneath which the single exhaust passed. That structure featured a lattice design specifically intended to cope with the increased stresses.

Thanks to this design choice, the Red Bull gearbox casing was extremely narrow, with a lower waistline, because the rear wing support and the suspension anchorage were attached to two highly profiled keels. On the Aston Martin, the concept has been pushed even further, and it will be fascinating to see how Adrian Newey has engineered its final implementation on the AMR26.

From a historical perspective, it is also worth recalling another precedent prior to the Red Bull RB19 that was not attributable to Adrian Newey. This refers to the Williams FW33 from 2013, designed by Sam Michael, Ed Wood, and John Tomlinson. On the Grove-based car, there was a single anchoring point for the two arms of an unusually inverted wishbone.

The rear suspension layout of the Aston Martin now features a very raised upper wishbone, with the push-rod strut positioned slightly further forward and the lower wishbone further offset. This creates a “cascade” of elements that allows the suspension arms to serve an aerodynamic function, freeing up space around the transmission to improve diffuser efficiency.

The Aston Martin also appears to be designed to run with a fairly aggressive rake angle, taking advantage of the freedoms permitted by the current regulations.

The technical DNA of the AMR26 proves that Adrian Newey is successfully translating his championship-winning philosophies from Red Bull into a bold new era for Aston Martin. By integrating the rear suspension with the wing pylon, the team has achieved a level of rear-end packaging that could redefine aerodynamic efficiency for the 2026 season. As the car transitions from its raw carbon testing livery to its final racing form, the data gathered in Barcelona will be crucial in determining if this extreme mechanical gamble provides the performance edge Lawrence Stroll’s ambitious project requires to fight at the front.