Adrian Newey targets respectability as Aston Martin seek to reverse early season nightmare
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July 25, 2026, 7:19 a.m.
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin's Managing Technical Partner and Team Principal, has outlined the team's immediate objective of regaining "respectability" following promising early results from the AMR26's major aerodynamic upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The revised car featured sixteen aerodynamic modifications, with Fernando Alonso qualifying thirteenth while Lance Stroll experienced a suspension failure. Newey emphasized the team is operating with limited data and spare components, describing the Hungary package as the first stage of a planned multi-race upgrade strategy, with additional developments scheduled for Zandvoort, Monza, and Baku. The aerodynamic evolution maintains the existing chassis, layout, and front suspension architecture rather than fundamental redesign. Aston Martin currently ranks second-to-last in the constructors' championship with only one point from the opening ten rounds, hampered by the AMR26's inconsistent performance and Honda's underperforming new power unit. Rather than establishing specific targets, Newey stressed the importance of improving internal processes and collaborative problem-solving to determine the team's competitive trajectory moving forward.