Aston Martin is having an extremely difficult season in Formula 1, but a significant change could be on the way. The team is working behind the scenes to introduce a completely redesigned version of the AMR26 just after the summer break, in an attempt to reverse the disappointing performance shown so far.
The dissatisfaction became evident at the Spanish Grand Prix, when Fernando Alonso again commented on the limitations of the current package. The Spaniard stated that the team’s situation is already known internally and showed irritation when questioned again about the car’s problems. “We knew we had the worst car and the worst engine. We have been very clear in every race so far that we need to work,” he said.
Alonso believes the scenario will not change immediately. “We will reach Austria in two weeks. We will be last in the standings, and you will ask me whether this exposes some of the car’s weaknesses. We know these weaknesses, we know we need to work and we are doing this,” he added.
Meanwhile, Adrian Newey remains focused on developing a new version of the AMR26. According to information obtained by GPblog, it is a Model B, practically a completely new car, which is slated to debut at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. The project represents an opportunity to fix the problems of the current car, pointed out as the first recent model developed under Newey’s influence that did not deliver the expected results.
Until this update arrives, Aston Martin is trying to extract the maximum from the current package. Beyond the lack of performance, the team also faces frequent reliability issues, as does Honda, the power unit supplier. Mike Krack, the team’s Chief Trackside Officer, emphasized that there are still lessons to be learned even in such a challenging scenario. “You always learn new things. As crazy as it sounds, when you’re three to four seconds behind, it seems like you’re competing in another category, but you still learn a lot,” he said. According to him, the team has identified ways to improve its processes and capitalize on small positives while awaiting the arrival of the new car.
