Aston Martin F1 On Back Foot By Four Months With New Design, Says Newey

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey says the team are around four months behind rivals as Formula One enters a major regulation shift, yet the AMR26 still shows a bold concept that could move Aston Martin up the order if development catches up during the 2026 season.

Newey links the delay to several overlapping factors, including infrastructure, staffing and timing. Aston Martin’s new AMR Technology Campus remains in development, while processes and tools are still bedding in. Newey arrived from Red Bull later than other senior figures, which affected how quickly detailed work on the 2026 project could begin.

The engineer, who has helped design 15 championship-winning cars at Red Bull, explains how those structural issues influenced preparation

for the new rules. F1 teams have been allowed to design the 2026 cars since January last year, with power unit work starting even earlier, giving early movers a clear advantage.

Newey highlights that his own involvement at Aston Martin only started in March, several weeks after rivals had already progressed with concepts. That late start, linked with the evolving facilities, meant Aston Martin did not get an AMR26 model into the CoreWeave Wind Tunnel until mid-April, well after the aero testing ban lifted.

"The AMR Technology Campus is still evolving, the CoreWeave Wind Tunnel wasn't on song until April, and I only joined the team last March, so we've started from behind, in truth," Newey told Aston Martin's website. "It's been a very compressed timescale and an extremely busy 10 months. The reality is that we didn't get a model of the '26 car into the wind tunnel until mid-April, whereas most, if not all of our rivals, would have had a model in the wind tunnel from the moment the 2026 aero testing ban ended at the beginning of January last year. "

From pencil to pitlane. #AMR26 pic.twitter.com/sQM8UrwsyiAston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) January 29, 2026

Because of that schedule, Aston Martin reached Barcelona’s pre-season running with the least preparation on track. The car was completed very late, and the team managed only 65 laps during the test, which was the lowest mileage of the 10 teams present, while Williams did not take part at all.

Newey says the compressed programme affected both research and design. "That put us on the back foot by about four months, which has meant a very, very compressed research and design cycle. The car only came together at the last minute, which is why we were fighting to make it to the Barcelona Shakedown. "

The AMR26 still drew attention once it appeared in the pit lane. The Aston Martin featured striking bodywork shapes that channel airflow in new ways, suggesting a creative response to the 2026 aerodynamic and power unit package despite the shorter gestation time.

Newey downplays labels about the Aston Martin design, stressing process over image. "I never look at any of my designs as aggressive," Newey added. "I just get on with things and pursue what we feel is the right direction. The direction we've taken could certainly be interpreted as aggressive. It's got quite a few features that haven't necessarily been done before. Does that make it aggressive? Possibly. Possibly not. "

The combination of infrastructure delays, late project start and limited Barcelona mileage leaves Aston Martin and Newey realistic about being behind early in 2026, yet the distinct AMR26 concept and new facilities suggest there is scope for progress as development runs through the season under the revised Formula One regulations.