Adrian Newey reveals embarrassing reason why Aston Martin car wasn’t green

Aston Martin's new team principal and technical mastermind Adrian Newey has shared the real reason his first F1 car with the team wasn't green during 2026 pre-season testing.

The Silverstone-based outfit returned to F1 in 2021, making their mark on the sport by turning the previously bubblegum pink Racing Point cars into green Aston Martin's after Lawrence Stroll purchased and rebranded the financially struggling outfit.

But when the team eventually hit the track after a delay to their testing appearance in Barcelona last month, fans were shocked to see Lance Stroll, the son of Aston Martin's owner, piloting an all black vehicle.

The new design still got people talking after the AMR26 made its debut due to the nose cone being noticeably wider than some of Aston Martin's rivals, including last year's champions McLaren and Newey's former team, Red Bull.

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Newey brought to tears at F1 testing

Despite debuting an all black livery prior to their official car launch, It was still clear that Newey had stuck to his classic high-rake approach for his interpretation of the new chassis and aerodynamic regulations.

But whilst teams like McLaren and Cadillac announced plans to run a special testing livery in Barcelona to avoid spoiling their car launch, there was much more mystery surrounding Aston Martin's new car, which only made it out on track for five laps on the penultimate day of the shakedown after being hastily flown in from the UK.

Speaking at the team's 2026 car launch in Saudi Arabia where Newey's first Aston Martin F1 car was unveiled properly, the new team principal finally admitted the real reason behind the all-black look.

"It's great to see the car as it will be racing. The car we ran briefly at Barcelona for a day and a half, it was all black, partially in truth because we didn't have time to paint it," Newey admitted.

"That was fabulous. Funny enough, Lawrence and I when it first pulled out of the garage with Lance driving, we were standing next to each other in the pit lane.

"I think we were both quite close to having a tear in our eye because it's been a long emotional journey of passion and a lot of hard work to get it to Barcelona.

"To see the car now paired with the livery as it will be racing with is of course how everybody will see it. So it's a very important part," he concluded.

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

Aston Martin's classic green livery will be in action when the 2026 season starts in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. The first race of the year takes place on March 8 at 3pm local time (AEDT), 4am GMT, and 11pm ET.

Before then, the first round of pre-season tests in Bahrain will kick off this week from February 11 until 13, and the second round continues from February 18 until February 20.

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