Aston Martin is already laying the foundations for its 2027 Formula 1 challenger, with Adrian Newey revealing the team’s key priorities as development of the AMR27 gathers pace. While the Silverstone-based outfit continues to fight through a difficult 2026 season, work behind the scenes has already shifted towards creating a car capable of returning the team to the front of the grid.
The British team currently finds itself at a crossroads. On one side is the 2026 campaign, which began with high expectations but quickly became complicated by technical challenges, many of them linked to the integration of Honda as Aston Martin’s new power unit partner. On the other is 2027, a season that the team believes must represent an immediate return to competitiveness.
Newey’s focus shifts towards the AMR27
Before attention fully turns to the future, Aston Martin will introduce its first major upgrade package for the AMR26 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are expected to receive a substantial package developed under Adrian Newey’s technical leadership, with the aim of rescuing what has so far been a disappointing season in terms of both performance and results.
At the same time, however, the team’s engineers have already begun defining the overall packaging of the 2027 car. As is common in modern Formula 1, the initial stage involves establishing the car’s fundamental architecture before detailed design and manufacturing of individual components can begin ahead of next year’s launch and winter testing programme.
Explaining Aston Martin’s current approach to the AMR27 project, Adrian Newey outlined the team’s priorities.
“We are in the early stages of research. At the moment it’s mainly about making the major architectural decisions: where to position the engine within the wheelbase, how to configure the chassis and all those fundamental choices that affect components with very long development and production lead times.”
As has often been the case with Adrian Newey-designed Formula 1 cars, the objective is to identify solutions capable of delivering outstanding aerodynamic efficiency while also generating high levels of downforce.
“We are evaluating several concepts for the front and rear suspension, the gearbox shape and all the elements that have a major influence on the aerodynamic performance.”
“One fundamental objective is to bring the 2027 car into the production phase much earlier than we normally would. That way we can avoid putting the entire team under the same pressure we experienced this year. It should also allow us to optimise weight, structural stiffness and attention to detail much more effectively.”
Regulation changes already influencing development
Although the current Formula 1 regulations only came into force seven months ago, further refinements will be introduced for next season. While the changes are not revolutionary, they are significant enough to force design teams to rethink several aspects of their 2027 projects.
“The most obvious changes concern the power unit: five percent more fuel, some adjustments to the energy storage and deployment systems, along with several other refinements,” Newey explained.
“As for the chassis, there are fewer changes, but they are still significant. The main one affects what is commonly known as the ‘bib’ or ‘tea tray’, which is the front section of the floor. Its leading edge has been moved forward by around 300 millimetres, allowing the front of the car to run much closer to the ground. That completely changes the aerodynamic characteristics.”
“There will also be a slightly shallower rear wing to reduce downforce, several modifications to the front section of the floor, where the so-called ‘bear claws’ or ‘fingers’ will be reduced from five elements to three, and the removal of various solutions teams have been using around the exhaust and rear wing area.”
According to Adrian Newey, however, the floor regulation changes represent the biggest opportunity for Aston Martin.
“For us, the most important change is the one affecting the front section of the floor. It presents everyone with a completely new aerodynamic challenge. Because over the past twelve months we have been forced to grow very quickly as a team, we are now in a much stronger position to take advantage of these regulation changes than we would have been a year ago.”
“We are now a much more mature organisation, and that makes me extremely optimistic about what lies ahead.”
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