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Aston Martin’s woes in 2026 have been well-documented, and it all started in early development, where Honda’s engine would not even fit in the car.
Adrian Newey’s tenure at Aston Martin has got off to a disastrous start. The AMR26 is desperately underpowered and unreliable, with Fernando Alonso managing the team’s only point thus far at Monaco, thanks to Sergio Perez’s late penalty.
The Silverstone outfit are behind newcomers Cadillac in 2026, and by some distance. At Spa, Aston Martin were even slower than a GT3 car as Alonso and Lance Stroll went through Le Combes.
Let us know your podium prediction for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix! 🇭🇺
Honda’s engine would not ‘fit’ in Adrian Newey’s 2026 Aston Martin
The problems were apparent from pre-season testing, as Aston Martin and Honda were behind in development. Newey went for some radical designs for the AMR26, which have ultimately backfired, and Honda were understaffed following their exit from F1.
Newey blasted Honda in Melbourne as it was revealed that the team may not make the 107% rule to qualify for the event – they did, but they retired the cars after a handful of laps.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Aston Martin F1 team principal Adrian Newey
Their severe vibrations, unreliability and a general lack of power stemmed from the AMR26 not being able to gel with the Honda power unit. In fact, according to journalist Roldan Rodriguez, the engine did not even fit in the car.
He said via his YouTube channel: “Why wouldn’t that engine fit in that car? Is it because it’s the bomb? It’s because they had to change everything because they brought in the wrong engine, so they had to change the whole car.”
Did Aston Martin make a mistake dropping Mercedes as engine partners for Honda?
Aston Martin’s engine upgrades for the Hungarian GP will be ‘pretty insignificant’
Colleague Carlos Miguel then pointed out that rivals Cadillac have gained up to eight tenths on Aston Martin from the start of the season. The Silverstone outfit have not brought any engine upgrades in 2026.
He added that the team have a 100-horsepower deficit to the rest of the field, which explains why Aston Martin were even slower than a 1990s F1 car at Spa.
Miguel said: “The problem is that you’ve got 100 horsepower less. 100 horsepower less than a GT3, which, as Dani Juncadella said the other day, was slower on the approach to Le Combes.
“So, until the engine is up to scratch, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s Adrián Newey or Roldán Rodríguez heading up the aerodynamics department. It’s basically the same thing.”
Aston Martin will bring upgrades in Hungary, but conflicting reports leave many wondering how they will improve the situation. According to Miguel, they will be ‘insignificant’.
He continued: “Franco Núgnes from the engines department in Italy was talking about 50 horsepower. On the other hand, I was told that the power gain is going to be pretty insignificant. You don’t know who to believe; they’re just rumours.”
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