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Aston Martin caught the eye as soon as they joined the 2026 F1 Barcelona shakedown test, and not just because of the design of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso’s new car.
The AMR26 only made its track debut with Stroll at the wheel on Day 4 of the shakedown in Montmelo, after delays with the production and build of the Silverstone natives’ car. Alonso also enjoyed his first laps in the first Aston Martin that Adrian Newey has designed on Day 5.
Formula 1 rented the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to hold a five-day behind-closed-doors shakedown this week for teams to learn their new cars built to the 2026 F1 regulations. This year sees the biggest regulatory changes ever, with new aero, engine, chassis and tyre rules.
Newey’s aggressive sidepods on Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 car instantly stood out when the car broke cover on Thursday. Stroll only completed four laps before he stopped on the track, but Alonso was able to enjoy longer runs on Friday as the shakedown in Barcelona wound down.
Fill in the blank: Aston Martin will finish P_ in the 2026 F1 standings
Aston Martin warned their rival F1 teams that Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso would be slow
Stroll and Alonso’s early laps in the AMR26 also caught the eye once Aston Martin finally hit the circuit in Barcelona as the rear rain light on their car was illuminated in blue, rather than the standard red. And The Race notes that Aston Martin refused to explain the light mystery.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and aero regulations
Teams normally only use a blue rear light when they are running a driver who does not have an FIA superlicence, which is mandatory to race in F1. But Aston Martin had to use the blue light for Stroll and Alonso – the most-experienced F1 driver ever – because of their run plan.
After missing the first three days of the shakedown in Barcelona, Aston Martin were playing catch-up. Thus, Aston Martin warned their rival teams upon their delayed arrival that Stroll and Alonso would not always be going at maximum speed down the straights on their runs.
Aston Martin used a blue rear light to show when their car was not using full power
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? 🤔
Aston Martin alerted their rivals so the other teams could inform their drivers and be able to avoid Stroll, who has 189 Grand Prix starts to his name, and Alonso, who has started 425 F1 races. The Silverstone crew did not want to risk their lower speeds catching a rival team out.
The mysterious blue light was deemed the easiest way for rival drivers to know when Alonso and Stroll would not be using their new Honda engine at full power. Aston Martin were able to revert to using the normal red rear light on Alonso’s car later into their run plan on Friday.
Aston Martin have now started their new life as the factory Honda engine F1 team, after the Japanese brand left Red Bull following the 2025 season. The 2026 regulations convinced Honda to stay involved in F1, having initially confirmed it was leaving the sport back in 2020.
F1 has removed the expensive MGU-H from the power unit regulations, along with moving to sustainable fuels. The biggest difference in the engine rules is in the increase in electrical power from the previous 20/80 split in favour of the ICE to almost a 50/50 share from 2026.
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