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Adrian Newey’s first Aston Martin F1 car was one of the most highly anticipated challengers upon the grid’s arrival in Barcelona, and an early analysis of the chassis suggests that the design genius hasn’t disappointed.
Ever since Adrian Newey arrived at Aston Martin’s Silverstone headquarters last year, the calibre of his very first F1 car for the British constructor has been a topic of discussion.
He is the most successful aerodynamicist in F1 history, and so the hype behind him being able to turn Aston Martin into a frontrunner from the midfield has been highly speculated on.
So far, Fernando Alonso has been wowed by Newey’s way of working, and the 44-year-old is currently hoping that he may just have one more shot at a world title before retirement beckons.
Unfortunately, development delays saw Aston Martin miss the first three days of the shakedown in Barcelona, but everyone took note once they arrived.
- READ MORE: Karun Chandhok blown away by what he noticed in the first photo of Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin
The AMR26 has finally arrived in Barcelona! Is it too late to benefit from this test, though? 😬
What are your thoughts on Adrian Newey's first Aston Martin F1 car? 🤔
Adrian Newey has taken inspiration from the RB19 with Aston Martin’s new suspension
A report by Motorsport Italia has analysed the aerodynamic package that Aston Martin turned up to Barcelona with for F1’s week of behind-closed-doors testing.
Of course, when the Silverstone-based team finally unveiled the AMR26 and sent it out for its very first laps on Thursday evening, all eyes were on what the world-renowned designer had cooked up over the winter break.
The report highlights how Aston Martin were forced into designing their very own gearbox for the upcoming season, having previously purchased them from Mercedes during their former engine partnership.
Switching to Honda has allowed Newey to design his own suspension and transmission from a blank canvas, and he has reportedly taken inspiration from what is arguably his magnum opus, the Red Bull RB19.
From the images that were taken of the AMR26’s maiden voyage, it appears as if Newey has taken an ‘extreme’ choice by attaching the upper wishbone of the rear suspension to a pylon that supports the rear wing.
Something similar was seen on the RB19, but there weren’t any supports, which further suggests that the British aerodynamicist has made progress in refining the concept.
The 2023-spec Red Bull car went on to be the most dominant F1 car ever seen in the sport as it won 21 out of the 22 races contested that year.
- READ MORE: Adrian Newey’s ‘super aggressive’ design detail revealed as Aston Martin finally join F1 testing
Fill in the blank: Aston Martin will finish P_ in the 2026 F1 standings
Adrian Newey has taken his own route in the development of the Aston Martin AMR26
Akin to his previous designs, Newey has taken no notice of Aston Martin’s on-track rivals, and brought a completely new philosophy to his design of the AMR26.
While Ferrari have taken inspiration from McLaren in their new SF-26, the 2026-spec Aston Martin looks to have taken a completely new route.
Former F1 designer Gary Anderson has hailed Newey for his originality, and is under the impression that the 66-year-old has taken another ‘extreme’ route during his design of the floor section of the AMR26.
It remains to be seen whether Newey will have brought his magic to the Silverstone-based team, but it should be fascinating to see how his first design ends up benefiting the constructor who are yet to add a Grand Prix victory to their trophy room.
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