Aston Martin’s Hungarian Grand Prix upgrades delivered encouraging signs of progress at the Hungaroring, where Lance Stroll finished a season-best 13th ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso. Although both AMR26 cars remained outside the points, their improved competitiveness offered the Silverstone team fresh optimism before further developments arrive at the Dutch Grand Prix.
It was also a significant result for Lance Stroll personally. Excluding races in which Fernando Alonso retired, the Canadian finished ahead of his teammate for the first time this season, while both drivers felt the upgraded car had provided Aston Martin with a stronger foundation for the races following Formula 1’s summer break.
Aston Martin upgrades make their debut in Hungary
There had been considerable curiosity surrounding Aston Martin’s performance in Budapest, where the upgrade package developed under Adrian Newey made its competitive debut. The changes were introduced in an attempt to improve the AMR26 while the team awaits the Honda engine upgrade expected for the next round at Zandvoort.
Before the Hungaroring weekend, the Silverstone-based team had scored only one point, secured by Fernando Alonso in Monaco, and had regularly occupied positions near the bottom of the classification. The Hungarian Grand Prix therefore represented an important early test of whether the new package could begin reversing that trend.
Lance Stroll records his best result of the season
Although Aston Martin still finished outside the points, the upgraded car demonstrated genuine progress. Lance Stroll took 13th place in the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix classification, earning his best result of the season.
The first step forward has made the 27-year-old more confident about the team’s prospects in the coming races.
“I felt good in the car today and it was nice to be racing again,” Lance Stroll said. “We’re not where we want to be yet, so there’s still work to do, but we’re in the mix now. The more laps we do with this package, the more performance we’ll be able to unlock.
“It’s the most encouraging upgrade we’ve had in a long time and we have more coming for Zandvoort, so it’s positive to see that we’re moving in the right direction.”
The result carried further significance beyond the car’s improved performance. Excluding Fernando Alonso’s retirements, Lance Stroll finished ahead of the Spanish driver for the first time this season.
Fernando Alonso encouraged by AMR26 progress
Fernando Alonso crossed the line in 14th place, immediately behind Lance Stroll. The two-time World Champion had already offered positive feedback after qualifying, where Aston Martin reached Q2 for the first time this season, and his optimism continued after the race.
“It was a good step forward for us this weekend, so it’s a solid foundation to build on when we return after the summer break,” Fernando Alonso said. “The car behaved well in the race and we were able to fight with those around us, which was fantastic after some difficult weekends.
“We’ll keep pushing and see how things go in Zandvoort, especially with the Honda upgrade.”
Aston Martin looks towards further Zandvoort upgrades
Aston Martin’s 13th and 14th-place finishes did not add to its championship points total, but the ability to compete more closely with the surrounding cars represented a meaningful improvement after a difficult opening part of the season.
The next test will come after the summer break at Zandvoort, where further changes to the AMR26 and the anticipated Honda power unit upgrade could help the team unlock additional performance. Fans can find the complete 2026 Dutch Grand Prix schedule and session times ahead of Aston Martin’s next appearance.
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