Adrian Newey has realised there’s only one good thing about his 2026 Aston Martin car

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Aston Martin’s upcoming upgrade is so significant that it will effectively mark the start of a brand-new season for the team, according to a report.

While they are currently above Cadillac by virtue of Fernando Alonso’s fortuitous point in Monaco, Aston Martin are clearly the slowest team on the grid right now. That much was obvious in Barcelona when they locked out the back row.

Adrian Newey and Aston have decided against an incremental approach to upgrades, instead waiting to introduce what they hope will be one transformative package. Points may remain unrealistic, but perhaps they can start to target Q2.

Adrian Newey will only keep front suspension from original Aston Martin design

According to Motorsport IT, Aston Martin staff are acting as if the next three races don’t ‘exist’. They currently expect their upgrade to arrive in Hungary, one race later than planned but still before the summer break.

Echoing reports before the season, Aston Martin are only racing to fulfil ‘contracts’ at this stage. The team’s development was beset by delays linked to Newey’s late arrival (March last year), while Honda’s reshuffled engine department was clearly in disarray.

Are Aston Martin below ‘F1 standards’ right now, or is Guenther Steiner being unfair?

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The report estimates that the four-second deficit to the front is 50% down to the engine, and 50% down to the chassis.

Newey implicitly blamed Honda for the team’s woes at the start of the season but has come to realise, in the face of incontrovertible evidence, that the chassis is fundamentally flawed too. Aston Martin’s qualifying performance in Monaco, the least power-sensitive track of the season, was the clearest indication.

As such, Newey only intends to keep the front suspension the same. The rest of the car will be completely different.

Meanwhile, Honda have been permitted two upgrades through the ADUO system, though it remains to be seen whether the first time will be ready in time for Hungary.

It was previously thought that Honda may have access to the highest tier of ADUO, added earlier in the season, but the FIA ruled that their deficit was insufficient.