Andy Cowell keeps delivering a three-word message to Aston Martin staff about their 2026 F1 car

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Andy Cowell is leading Aston Martin into a new era in 2026 as they hope to become a title contender under the new regulations.

The team showed flashes of their potential in 2023 when Fernando Alonso scored eight podiums and finished fourth in the championship. But they have not maintained that performance since then.

Aston Martin are eighth in the standings at the halfway point of the 2025 season. Alonso has scored points in the last four races, having not scored any before then, with Lance Stroll ahead of him by four points.

The Silverstone outfit are clearly focused on the 2026 F1 regulations as they hope to get a head start and develop a strong car. Adrian Newey’s sole responsibility is designing Aston Martin’s machine for next season, and optimism is already high.

Newey is ‘pushing the boundaries’ at Aston Martin, which has created an ‘exciting’ atmosphere around the team. Lawrence Stroll’s investment in new facilities and a wind tunnel have put them in good standing for 2026, but Cowell is always reiterating one message to his staff.

Andy Cowell keeps telling Aston Martin staff ‘don’t cut corners’ with their 2026 F1 car

Newey has a ‘major advantage’ at Aston Martin with the Honda power unit, having had incredible success with the manufacturer at Red Bull. But while things on paper look strong, the team principal is reminding staff not to get complacent.

Cowell told RACER: “I think that the benefit is twofold. One is the technology that’s in there – the measurement technology, the precision with which we can measure.

“And second is the speed with which we can do that work, because we can choose to test in the wind tunnel any day of the week at any time of the day, whereas before we were pegged into a small period of time.

“And so we don’t need to wait for the bus to come along. We can go and do a test when we want, when we’re ready to do so.

“Also, having the aerodynamicists next to model build, and the technology that’s gone into model build design and production and project management, has meant that the time from an aerodynamicist coming up with the shape to getting wind tunnel data is so much quicker.

“And I know full well that engineers get frustrated if they don’t get results back quickly!

“The more development you can do in a unit of time means that your development rate goes up and that’s how you catch your opponent. So I’m saying many, many times to the people in the campus, the real race is here. It’s the pace with which we can do our development, but thoroughly – don’t cut corners.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Aston Martin CEO and team principal Andy Cowell

Do Aston Martin have the drivers to fight for a championship in 2026?

Alonso and Stroll have contracts until 2026, and the pair will be hoping that the AMR26 will be a competitive package. But the drivers will have to step up next year if the car is worthy of winning races.

Alonso admits he does not have the best racecraft anymore, but the 43-year-old has continued to show he can be a top performer. He has outclassed Stroll since joining the team in 2023, with many questioning whether the Canadian should still be at the team.

Newey was previously critical of Stroll, having not finished on the podium since 2020. Rumours were suggesting that Aston Martin were interested in signing Max Verstappen amid the uncertainty surrounding his future at Red Bull.

But Verstappen has decided against joining Aston Martin as he seems to be primarily speaking to Mercedes. Red Bull would want nine figures to buy out Verstappen’s contract; a demand that the Silverstone outfit would not be willing to pay.