Aston Martin F1 owner Lawrence Stroll sends message to team after breakthrough weekend

Newey arrives at Aston Martin — Photo: © IMAGO

Hungarian Grand Prix

Aston Martin F1 owner Lawrence Stroll sends message to team after breakthrough weekend

Stroll's F1 squad finally brought some upgrades after 10 races without them

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Sunday 26 July 2026 22:30

Make us your Google favorite

After 10 painful rounds under the new regulations, Aston Martin F1 team were finally able to bring some upgrades to their car at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Silverstone squad owned by Lawrence Stroll have been left flailing at the back of the grid, often struggling to keep up with newcomers Cadillac in a somewhat embarrassing start to life with Adrian Newey on their side.

The former Red Bull chief technical officer chose Aston Martin as his next home on the grid and as his first job, he was faced with the mammoth challenge of designing their 2026 challenger in line with the new regulations.

Article continues under video

But from as early as pre-season testing, it was clear Newey's chassis was not ready to compete with even the slowest cars on track, an issue that was only exacerbated by their problematic power unit from new providers Honda.

Thankfully for Newey, Aston Martin's first upgrades of the year have confirmed they are heading in the right direction.

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton skips drivers meeting as F1 champion faces penalty verdict

Stroll pleased with 'big step forward' at Hungarian GP

Ahead of the final round of the championship before the annual summer shutdown, Aston Martin confirmed that a major chassis upgrade was on the way, spearheaded by Newey.

Stroll's team then brought a whopping 16 upgrades to the Hungaroring and after a rough start for Lance Stroll during Friday practice, the impact of their new and improved machinery finally became clear on Saturday.

With Fernando Alonso at the wheel during qualifying, an Aston Martin finally made it out of Q1 for the first time this season, meaning the two-time champion was able to start Sunday's race from 16th.

So naturally, when Sky F1 legend Martin Brundle was carrying out his popular gridwalk duties prior to the 70-lap race, he handed the mic over to Stroll to give a message to the team and fans after his squad had finally shown signs of life.

The F1 team owner took the opportunity to give a message to all the Aston Martin crew members who have worked so tirelessly and never given up patience on their 2026 project.

"Yeah, obviously we've made a very big step forward, one of many to come. So yes, very satisfied," said the Canadian billionaire.

"Thanks to all the hard work for all the boys and the girls at the factory to make it happen. It's a good start," he concluded.

His son, Lance Stroll, went on to finish the Hungarian GP in P13, his best result of the new regulations era and one place above Alonso.

At the end of next month, the sport will return from the annual summer break for the Dutch GP, where Aston Martin's PU provider Honda will be bringing an upgrade of their own that they hope will be transformative for the team.

F1 Silly Season 2026: Verstappen, Mercedes and every driver move

F1 Aston Martin Adrian Newey Martin Brundle Hungarian Grand Prix Lawrence Stroll