Aston Martin’s radically revised AMR26 B-spec arrived at the Hungarian Grand Prix with major changes across almost every area of the car, including a new nose, front wing, floor and revisions to the rear suspension and bodywork. The scale of the transformation immediately attracted attention at the Hungaroring, but the opening practice sessions also confirmed that such an extensive redesign could not produce an instant miracle.
The first verdict from the track was mixed. Fernando Alonso finished 13th during the early running, while Lance Stroll suffered a heavy accident following a rear suspension failure. Although Adrian Newey denied that the failure involved components modified for the new car, Aston Martin replaced Fernando Alonso’s entire rear-end assembly as a precaution after FP2.
Aston Martin AMR26 B-spec arrives as an almost entirely new car
The revised AMR26 had already surprised observers on Thursday before the Hungarian Grand Prix because of the sheer number of new components visible while the car remained only partially assembled on stands inside the garage. Aston Martin’s radical AMR26 B-spec had arrived unusually late, leaving the mechanics with a demanding final assembly programme before track action began.
Thursday’s preliminary build provided only the first glimpse of the package. The car’s final assembly was completed on Friday morning, shortly before FP1, revealing an extraordinary volume of changes in virtually every technical area. The AMR26 consequently stood out as one of the most extensively revised cars on the official Hungarian Grand Prix upgrade list.
New AMR26 nose and McLaren-inspired front wing
The first major change is a new nose (1), whose significantly slimmer design would certainly have required fresh homologation. In addition to being narrower, the nosecone extends further forwards and recalls the shape adopted by McLaren on the MCL40.
The front wing (2) has also been completely redesigned. Its overall architecture again resembles the solution used by the papaya car, suggesting that Aston Martin considered McLaren’s front-end concept particularly effective when combined with the characteristics of the AMR26.
Every flap has been revised and simplified compared with the previous specification. The winglet positioned outside the endplate (3) is especially elaborate, featuring a variable chord and cross-section across its span. Its purpose is to direct airflow downwards and outwards, helping to move the turbulence generated by the front wheels away from the car.
Completely redesigned floor introduces a unique AMR26 solution
The floor is entirely new, as demonstrated by the different shape of the inlet profiles positioned beneath the sidepod opening. This area now features five flow-conditioning elements rather than four, designed to influence the airflow field travelling beneath the car.
The slots used to manage the turbulence generated by the rotation of the rear wheels (4) also feature a different and previously unseen design. Aston Martin’s objective of directing airflow outwards and downwards is supported by a deeply sculpted, curved section of the floor surface. For now, that particular treatment remains unique to the AMR26.
These extensive revisions underline why the package represents considerably more than a conventional update. Aston Martin effectively needs to rediscover how the car behaves, particularly after earlier data had indicated that the team’s difficulties involved chassis weaknesses beyond the Honda power unit.
Revised engine cover and tighter rear-end packaging
The engine cover has been modified primarily around the cooling outlets (5). This section retains numerous louvres but now has a more rounded and bulbous profile.
Cooling outlets are frequently adjusted to meet the requirements of individual circuits. However, given the substantial increase in the cross-section of the sidepod inlets, Aston Martin may retain the generally enlarged dimensions of this area at future events.
By contrast, the rear section (6) appears to have been packaged even more tightly. The bodywork wraps around the gearbox almost like a second skin, reducing the volume at the back of the car.
This has always been one of the most sensitive areas for the diffuser’s correct operation. The airflow passing over the diffuser’s upper surface must merge smoothly with the flow arriving from beneath the floor, making the shape and dimensions of the surrounding bodywork particularly important.
Aston Martin adds reinforcement to the rear suspension
Since its debut, the Adrian Newey-led AMR26 has stood out because its upper rear suspension wishbone is mounted directly to the two pylons supporting the rear wing. A transverse metal component (7) has now appeared between the two mounting points.
The new element indicates that Aston Martin has made a fundamental intervention intended to increase stiffness in an area that was probably suffering from harmful levels of flexing. The modification is particularly significant because unwanted movement around the suspension and rear-wing supports can affect both mechanical behaviour and aerodynamic consistency.
Unusual carbon blade appears on the AMR26 rear wing
The new rear-wing configuration was not developed to rotate in the manner seen on Ferrari and Red Bull. Nevertheless, the presence of a prominent carbon-fibre blade (8) immediately attracts attention.
This element is not movable. Instead, it rigidly connects the housing containing the hydraulic actuator to the trailing edge of the movable flap. It is difficult to determine whether the blade provides any direct aerodynamic benefit, but it clearly supplies an additional central pivot alongside the two lateral mounting points around which the movable flap can rotate.
Hungarian GP practice exposes the scale of Aston Martin’s challenge
The final judgement must inevitably come from the track. The opening practice sessions offered a modestly encouraging start through Fernando Alonso’s 13th position, but Lance Stroll’s serious accident following a rear suspension failure also created an immediate concern.
Adrian Newey denied that the failure involved any of the components modified for the revised car. Even so, Aston Martin took the precaution of replacing Fernando Alonso’s rear-end assembly after FP2. There was therefore no immediate miracle, which was entirely reasonable given the scale of the transformation.
Aston Martin also remains without the updated Honda engine, which is scheduled to make its debut after the summer break at the Dutch Grand Prix. The revised power unit represents another important part of the team’s planned recovery, alongside the Honda upgrade and AMR26 B-spec programme.
More importantly, a car so different from its predecessor effectively represents a completely new beginning for Aston Martin. The aerodynamic maps developed with the previous specification are unlikely to align with such an extensive aerodynamic reset and will need to be rediscovered almost from scratch.
It would therefore not have been surprising to see the AMR26 running with aerodynamic rakes covered in sensors during practice. Aston Martin must validate on the circuit what was initially simulated through computational fluid dynamics before being tested in the wind tunnel.
Why it is too early to judge the Aston Martin AMR26 B-spec
It remains far too early to deliver a definitive verdict on the so-called AMR26 B-spec. Expectations surrounding the performance potential of Aston Martin’s Hungary upgrades must now be compared with real track data and the team’s ability to understand an almost completely reworked car.
For the moment, the scale of the effort made by Aston Martin’s engineers deserves recognition. Adrian Newey and the Silverstone technical department have attempted to lift the team out of an extremely deep technical crisis that would have been almost unimaginable before the beginning of the season. The new AMR26 may not have delivered an immediate miracle, but it gives Aston Martin an entirely different foundation from which to begin its recovery.
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