Newey: Aston Martin started 2026 development 'four months behind' rivals

Adrian Newey has revealed Aston Martin's 2026 car project started approximately four months behind its rivals due to late wind tunnel access and his own delayed arrival, forcing an extremely compressed development cycle. The team's uniquely aggressive AMR26, which features novel aerodynamic concepts, only just made it to the recent Barcelona Shakedown after completing minimal laps.

Why it matters:

The 2026 season represents F1's biggest regulatory reset in a generation, offering the clearest opportunity for a major shift in the competitive order. For Aston Martin, a team with massive investment and now the sport's most celebrated designer, starting at a significant disadvantage could undermine their potential to make the coveted 'leap forward' and challenge the established frontrunners from the opening race.

The details:

• Newey confirmed the team did not get a model of the 2026 car into its new CoreWeave Wind Tunnel until mid-April 2025. Most rivals began aero testing immediately when the ban lifted in early January.
• This four-month deficit created a "very, very compressed research and design cycle," culminating in a last-minute build that nearly missed the Barcelona Shakedown.
• The team completed only 65 laps in Barcelona, the fewest of any participating team, as they focused on getting the car ready.
• The unveiled AMR26 features distinctly aggressive bodywork aimed at redirecting airflow, with Newey acknowledging it has "quite a few features that haven't necessarily been done before."
• Newey described the car as "tightly packaged" compared to its predecessors, a hallmark of his efficient design philosophy.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to a critical development race. Newey has stated the car was designed with fundamental principles intended to offer "a lot of development potential," hoping to avoid a design that is initially optimized but has a limited ceiling.

• The team will have two three-day official pre-season tests in Bahrain (February 11-13 & 18-20) to understand the car and begin unlocking that potential.
• The true test arrives at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 8, where the scale of Aston Martin's catch-up task will become clear.