F1 News: Adrian Newey announces 'big' Aston Martin upgrades and finally names the date

Aston Martin

Adrian Newey announces 'big' Aston Martin upgrades and finally names the date

Newey has had his work cut out for his first F1 campaign with Aston Martin

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 30 June 2026 18:44

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Aston Martin's team principal and managing technical partner Adrian Newey has revealed details about the team's much-needed F1 upgrades, confirming they are on the horizon.

After Lawrence Stroll announced the blockbuster signing of the former Red Bull design genius in 2024, plenty of hype was built up around Newey's Silverstone arrival.

But eight races into the 2026 championship and Aston Martin have picked up just a single point under the new regulations, compounding their struggles with an overweight chassis and a problematic new power unit.

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Aston Martin entered into the 2026 regulations era with Honda returning to the grid as their PU provider, but things haven't gone well for the two powerhouses of motorsport.

In June, Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe admitted: "The results on track with Aston Martin F1 Team haven't matched our ambition," before going on to reassure fans: "We are one global unit, from Sakura, Japan to Milton Keynes. We stay focused, we stay united, and we keep pushing."

Newey has been working tirelessly to bring an upgrade on the chassis front for months now and despite being team principal, has been absent from media sessions and public-facing roles.

But the engineering mastermind has now broken his silence.

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Newey shares details of Aston Martin upgrades Alonso is desperate for

In the latest 'Undercut' feature on Aston Martin's official website, Newey shed light on the highly-anticipated upgrades to the 2026 car, revealing exactly when the drivers and the fans can expect to see it.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso appeared to lose his patience in Austria, telling media that Aston Martin don't have the amount of money their rivals do to bring 'unlimited' upgrades throughout the season.

But the Spaniard won't have to wait long for Aston Martin's first major improvements package of the season.

"We plan to introduce our upgrade in Hungary on both cars," said Newey, pinpointing the race weekend which comes at the end of July.

Asked how big a change this upgrade could be from a structural standpoint, Newey added: "The main structural elements remain the same – the chassis and gearbox architecture don't fundamentally change – but we've taken weight out of both, which required re-homologating and crash testing the forward chassis.

"The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension is slightly revised. We've developed a new nose and substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces.

"So, while the core structure is similar, it's a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction.

"The target is to get very close to the weight limit."

F1 Aston Martin Adrian Newey 2026 regulations