– Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have long been eagerly awaiting a technical update to the Aston Martin AMR26. Now the time has come: At the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring near Budapest (follow all sessions here in the Formula 1 live ticker!), Aston Martin is deploying its new parts for the first time.
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However, around 24 hours before the start of practice in Hungary, Alonso’s and Stroll’s two AMR26s are not yet ready to drive. “But I am convinced that we will be ready on Friday,” said Krack.
He confirmed: Both Aston Martins will compete “with the same specification”. This means: Both drivers will receive the big update.
What’s new on the Aston Martin – and what’s not
It is primarily a completely new chassis, while the previous gearbox continues to be used. “In principle, our upgrade consists of an extensive aerodynamics package and a weight reduction,” said Krack. “That’s the common thread.”
However, Krack did not want to comment on whether Aston Martin would stick to its previous design concept or deviate from it. He said: “For the technical details, you would have to ask our aerodynamicists. But I suspect that we will move a little more in a different direction in the future.”
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The Aston Martin race director openly spoke of a “new cooling concept” on the AMR26 and explained: “In the first practice session, some tests are therefore on the program to check how this affects our powertrain. This is a very important item on the agenda for us.” Also, because the Honda powertrain will receive an update for the following Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
However, the integration of the Honda powertrain into the Aston Martin chassis has not been high on the agenda so far. “Yes, the integration needs to work better, but first of all, we have to catch up,” said Krack. “Everything that can then be gained additionally through better integration will naturally be used. But that was not the top priority here.”
Aston Martin sees the Grand Prix as a test phase
So what is important for Aston Martin when the new parts are used for the first time? Krack said: “We first have to understand how this upgrade works. We don’t have winter tests where we can calmly carry out comparison runs. That’s what this weekend is for. Therefore, the quality of the data and how well our simulations reflect reality are particularly important.”
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One should not expect Aston Martin to “exploit the full potential in the first attempt,” said Krack. “We first have to learn how to use this package optimally and draw the right conclusions from it. That will take some time, even if we have a good team and good support from the factory.”
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However, progress should soon be visible: “We are bringing this upgrade to be able to race again. In the past races, we were simply not competitive. That’s exactly what we need to change,” said Krack.
With what goals Aston Martin traveled to Hungary
He did not commit to a specific prognosis. He “really couldn’t predict” where Aston Martin would stand with the Hungary update compared to the Formula 1 competition. “The crucial thing is that we are back in the game – because we haven’t been recently,” said Krack. True: Aston Martin mostly lagged behind, even slower than Formula 1 newcomer Cadillac.
“If we can fight for something again, meaning we are competitive again and at the same time have understood half or at least the first third of the car’s characteristics, then that would be a good weekend,” said Krack. “And of course, it would be nice if both cars saw the checkered flag on Sunday. That is the first goal.”
But is that enough to get Aston Martin back on track and dispel any doubts about Lawrence Stroll’s Formula 1 project? “We are realistic,” said Krack. “I would by no means call this weekend ‘all or nothing’.
We had a plan and we implemented it.”
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“Successes and setbacks are part of sports. We have been in difficult situations before and are now trying to work our way out of them. However, further development steps are still necessary for this. This upgrade is merely a part of our long-term development strategy. The current rules will apply for several more years – therefore, from my point of view, this is simply the next step.”
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