Adrian Newey offered his initial thoughts on Aston Martin’s substantial upgrade package brought to this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix in Formula 1.
One of the paddock’s main focal points was the AMR26 and the 16 new components introduced for the event at the Hungaroring. Among the updates were a redesigned front wing and rear wing, a new diffuser, and updated sidepods, all already visible on track following the first practice sessions.
Therefore, after the opening F1 sessions in Hungary, even though Lance Stroll suffered a suspension failure in FP1 and did not run in FP2, the designer stated that the initial verdict is promising. “We are still in a very early stage to understand the new package. The provisional results are promising,” he said.
“It’s only a part of the package. We’ll have a few more steps in Zandvoort, Monza and Baku; so this is the first phase of our planned upgrade. We have a limited number of parts available, so we’re being cautious and trying to learn everything about it. It’s an evolution, since the chassis is the same, the layout is the same, and the front suspension is the same. So, essentially, it’s an aerodynamic evolution,” he added.
“We had very little time for research before the car’s launch in Barcelona, in February. So, it has really been a matter of stepping back, trying to understand, and moving forward with this package,” he concluded.
