F1 News: Aston Martin to unleash one last upgrade that will 'dramatically improve' lap times

Photo: © IMAGO

Aston Martin

Aston Martin to unleash one last upgrade that will 'dramatically improve' F1 lap times

It's expected to save plenty of lap time

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson F1 Editor

Motorsport journalist covering F1 since 2024

Wednesday 23 September 2026 09:45

Make us your Google favorite

Aston Martin are set to unleash the final version of their 2026 car at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix and it is expected to 'dramatically improve' their lap time, according to their F1 chief technical officer Enrico Cardile.

It has so far been a hugely disappointing season for the Adrian Newey-led outfit, with Aston Martin having struggled with both power unit and aerodynamic issues.

As such, after the opening 14 rounds of the season, the team sits second from bottom in the constructors' standings, with just three points scored between Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll at this stage.

Article continues under video

Two of those came at the Dutch Grand Prix last month, after a major aerodynamic overhaul of the AMR26 at the previous race in Hungary, and a new spec Honda power unit in Zandvoort.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton gets Ferrari boost as major rule change approved

Aston Martin set for weight reduction upgrades in Baku

As it turns out, those changes will not be the last made to the AMR26 this season in order to try and help Alonso and Stroll be more competitive.

While there will be no further aerodynamic upgrades to the car, Aston Martin's F1 chief technical officer Cardile has revealed that while there will be weight reduction upgrades for Baku.

“After Hungary, we brought a few small refinements - tweaks to the front wing and floor at Zandvoort. Those will be the last planned aero developments for this car," Cardile told AstonMartinF1.com.

“The only exception would be if, while we’re developing the 2027 car, we discover something that it makes sense to test on track this year to help our correlation. But as of now, nothing more is scheduled.

“We do still have our weight‑saving programme to complete. That should be done around Baku. From Baku onwards, we’ll essentially be running the final version of the car for the rest of the season.”

Cardile: Aston Martin upgrades will dramatically improve lap time

Cardile continued, hailing the team's weight reduction upgrade as a 'major' achievement, and that he expects the changes to 'dramatically' improve their lap times.

“It depends on what you choose as your reference race, but it’s a significant number - enough to dramatically improve lap time," Cardile explained when quizzed on how much weight the team had saved.

“That’s a major achievement. Sometimes it comes from changing individual parts. Other times, it means rethinking how something was engineered in the first place – even the chassis. It’s a mix of small details and big structural ideas.

“In Baku, we should be very, very close to the weight limit, which is where you always want to be.”

F1 2027 GRID: Seven seats still open and one massive question mark

F1 Aston Martin Adrian Newey Azerbaijan Grand Prix