Adrian Newey says he can’t ‘promise’ Lawrence Stroll that Aston Martin will reach the front

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Aston Martin’s much-anticipated upgrades at the Hungarian Grand Prix were a qualified success. They didn’t score a point, but they were able to compete in the midfield.

Lance Stroll finished a season-high P13, while Fernando Alonso posted his second-best result of the year in 14th. Alonso had made his first Q2 appearance of 2026 24 hours earlier.

If Honda’s engine upgrade is as impactful, then Aston Martin can hope for regular points after the summer break, though this is still far below what Lawrence Stroll expected under these regulations.

Adrian Newey’s realistic assessment of Aston Martin project after Hungary upgrade

Billionaire owner Stroll has been one of the biggest spenders in F1 in recent years. He brought world-class engineers like Adrian Newey, Andy Cowell and Enrico Cardile to the team because he wanted to challenge the established front-runners.

But for Newey, who is currently the team principal, it’s a long-term project. He likened it to his arrival at the brand-new Red Bull team in 2006.

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Red Bull didn’t win a race until 2009 but dominated F1 at the start of the 2010s as Sebastian Vettel won four straight titles.

Newey can’t ‘promise’ Stroll that Aston Martin will ever reach that level, but says they need to start building winning habits so they’re prepared for that eventuality.

“In many ways, it’s reminiscent of when I first started at Red Bull,” he told Channel 4. “It’s a matter of developing the whole team, the culture, the technical side.

“It’s not an overnight process. This time round, we have the added complication of a new partner with Honda and their journey in terms of understanding what’s required from the PU.

“Yes, it does feel like it’s a lot to chew, I must admit. But I’ve been here before in as much as when you’re at or near the back of the grid and you look at the gap to the frontrunners, you think, ‘That just looks an impossible mountain.’

“[My] experience from before is, if we do manage to get to the front of the grid – of course, I’m making no promises – then you’re getting to the point we got to with Red Bull where we were winning quite routinely in certain periods, and you don’t feel as if you’re doing anything different.

“It’s all doable, it’s just getting everything in place.”

• READ MORE: Adrian Newey used his old Red Bull trick to upgrade Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin at Hungarian GP

Asked about the individual pressure that comes with his past achievements, Newey said: “I’ve been lucky enough to have a decent level of success in my career, but I’m one person in however many people we are.

“It’s all about team play, getting everything gelled, getting everyone working together and going forwards from there.”

Newey designed 14 title-winning cars across his time at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. He is widely viewed as one of the greatest minds in the sport’s history.

Aston Martin enter the summer break second from bottom in the standings, only above Cadillac thanks to Fernando Alonso’s fortuitous point in Hungary.