Aston Martin Confirms 2026 F1 Car Launch Date
Aston Martin has confirmed its 2026 F1 car, the AMR26, will launch on February 9, 2026. This pivotal season will see the team partner with Honda for power units and debut an Adrian Newey-designed car, aiming to leverage new regulations for a stronger championship challenge. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll remain as drivers, with Jak Crawford stepping in as reserve. The launch is strategically timed between private and official pre-season tests.
Aston Martin has officially announced that its 2026 Formula 1 challenger, the AMR26, will be unveiled on Monday, February 9 next year. This date strategically positions the launch between private team testing in Barcelona and the official pre-season test in Bahrain, setting the stage for a pivotal season in the team's history.
Why it matters:
Aston Martin's 2026 season marks a significant turning point, not only due to the comprehensive regulatory overhaul in F1 but also as the team embarks on a works partnership with Honda for power units. This move, coupled with the highly anticipated debut of an Adrian Newey-designed car, signals Aston Martin's ambitious intent to elevate its performance and become a consistent front-runner in the sport.
The details:
- Launch Date: The AMR26 will be launched on Monday, February 9, 2026.
- Testing Schedule: This date falls after private testing at Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya in late January and just two days before the first official F1 test in Bahrain.
- Driver Line-up: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will continue as the driving pair for a fourth consecutive season, bringing stability and experience to the team.
- Reserve Driver: F2 driver Jak Crawford, an academy member, will step into the reserve driver role, succeeding Felipe Drugovich.
- Power Unit Partnership: Aston Martin will transition to a works team partnership with Honda, following Honda's departure from Red Bull. This marks a new era for the Silverstone-based squad in terms of engine supply and integration.
- Leadership and Design: The AMR26 will be the first car under the design influence of Adrian Newey, who is stepping into the Team Principal role. Andy Cowell will shift his focus to intensifying efforts on the power unit side.
The big picture:
The 2026 F1 season introduces major changes to both power unit and chassis regulations. For Aston Martin, this regulatory reset presents a prime opportunity to capitalize on its new Honda partnership and Newey's expertise. The team is aiming for a substantial improvement after a challenging 2025 season, which saw them drop to seventh in the constructors' standings, following a fifth-place finish in 2023 and 2024. The combination of a new engine supplier, a legendary designer, and stable driver lineup indicates a clear strategy to return to the sharp end of the grid.
What's next:
The unveiling of the AMR26 will be closely watched, as it offers the first glimpse into the team's interpretation of the new regulations and the initial fruits of the Aston Martin-Honda-Newey collaboration. The subsequent testing sessions in Bahrain will provide crucial data on the car's performance and reliability, setting the tone for Aston Martin's ambitions in the 2026 championship and their long-term trajectory in Formula 1.