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Although Mercedes finished the 2026 Barcelona shakedown having completed the most laps, arguably the car people were most excited to see was the late-arriving Aston Martin.
By the time that Lance Stroll finally got out on track in Aston Martin’s AMR26, Mercedes were preparing to pack up.
Mercedes completed more laps than any other team in Barcelona, while only Williams, who failed to make it to the Circuit de Catalunya, completed fewer laps than Aston Martin.
Bernie Collins suggested that Stroll might feel hard done by due to the fact that he only got to drive a handful of laps, while Fernando Alonso got a full day of testing on Friday.
99 laps less than every other team – should we be concerned about Aston Martin’s new car? 👀
Adrian Newey has taken on the role of team principal alongside all of his other responsibilities when it comes to designing this year’s car.
Newey has carried over some of his most successful traits from Red Bull to Aston Martin already, and it’s likely that he’ll unveil even more interesting innovations in Bahrain before the first race of the season.
Now, Bernie Collins and Craig Slater have been assessing Aston Martin’s short stint in Barcelona and what their competitors are saying about the car.
READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Mercedes sources think Aston Martin have built an ‘adventurous’ 2026 F1 car
Collins was discussing the addition of a small hole in the rear diffuser that has been spotted on some cars during the shakedown, including Mercedes and Ferrari.
She explained on The F1 Show when talking about its assumed absence on the Aston Martin car: “Those designers will be spending time at the factory, as we are, going through all of the images that they can acquire from all of the other cars, trying to figure out what’s going on.
“So even if he’s not got it on that car, they will definitely be looking over it to see if it could bring something additional.
“But I can’t imagine that Adrian would have missed it.”
Lewis Hamilton led the way in Barcelona but the gaps were tight!
Who impressed you most in the shakedown? ⬇️
Slater continued: “Someone from Mercedes, an engineer, described it to me as adventurous as a car, which I thought was a lovely word, as though it’s an epic story in itself.
“It is multi-layered, multi-chaptered and has a kind of narrative of its own, which I think is a lovely word to use.”
On top of what Mercedes sources were saying about Aston Martin’s car, George Russell highlighted how impressed he was during the team’s launch event on Monday.
He said: “What Adrian has done with that car, it looks pretty spectacular.
“And Honda, over the past few years, with Red Bull, have had a very good engine beneath them. We also know what they’re capable of.
“The Aston Martin was probably the most standout in terms of the car design.
“Everybody was looking at that rear suspension, and it obviously visually looks very impressive, but it’s not a competition of how sexy it is. It’s a competition of how fast it goes around the track.
“So people always look towards the fastest car, and we’ll find that out in Melbourne. Whoever that is, that will be the car that you wish to try and take inspiration from.”
READ MORE: All you need to know about Aston Martin F1 team principal Adrian Newey
Fernando Alonso recalls the ‘special moment’ he drove an Adrian Newey F1 car for the first time
Many people have been very excited about the prospect of Alonso and Newey working together, including the pair themselves.
Back in an interview in 2023, Newey admitted he regretted not getting to work with Alonso during his time in Formula 1.
The pair had been rivals for so long, having not crossed paths before Newey joined Red Bull, and now, a 44-year-old Alonso will finally get to try and win his third world championship in one of his cars.
Newey has designed a car described as ‘extreme’ by Gary Anderson, who has spotted features that no other team has even attempted.
Alonso was asked about his experience in the AMR26 in Barcelona and said: “It’s always a special moment driving a new car for the first time, especially at the start of a new regulation cycle.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced many changes in Formula 1, and you quickly get a sense of the direction the car is taking.
“It’s been a very intense period, but I think we can be pleased with what we’ve done so far.
“And it’s been good having Adrian here with us. Everyone is super motivated seeing him in the garage; he’s been talking to the mechanics and engineers and noting down details about the car.
“It’s still very early days, and we have a lot of work still to do before we head to Melbourne in March.”
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