The F1 paddock has a new laughing stock after Aston Martin’s successful upgrade

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Aston Martin’s upgrades certainly delivered at the Hungarian Grand Prix, and they have passed on their label as the laughing stock of the Formula 1 paddock.

The B-spec version of the AMR26 was undoubtedly the biggest talking point at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Aston Martin had not upgraded the car before the race, and they brought an eye-watering number of upgrades to try and cut down their deficit, which had been as high as five seconds.

Almost every part of the car was refined, with Adrian Newey using his Red Bull tricks with the rear suspension to turn it into an aerodynamic aid. The team finally reaped the benefits of his arrival in Budapest as Fernando Alonso reached Q2 for the first time in 2026.

Is Fernando Alonso living in la la land, or do you still think Adrian Newey can lead Aston Martin to the very top?

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Williams are the laughing stock of the F1 paddock as Aston Martin’s Hungarian GP upgrades prove a success

By no means were Alonso or Lance Stroll close to scoring points at the Hungarian GP, but it is clear that the team now have the package to fight amongst the midfield. They finished 14th and 13th respectively and a lap down on the field.

It was Stroll’s best finish of 2026 and Alonso’s best result since his P10 in Monaco. A lot of work still needs to be done, but the progression was clear to see from Aston Martin, and they are no longer the laughing stock of the paddock – that goes to Williams.

READ MORE: All to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes ties

After finishing P5 in 2025, the Grove outfit were expected to make a stride forward under the 2026 regulations. After all, James Vowles had focused all of Williams’ development on this season’s car, but it has been a disaster.

Williams missed pre-season testing in Barcelona, and it set the tone for the campaign that has followed. Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have scored just 11 points in 2026, with their last points coming through the former in Monaco.

In Budapest, Albon and Sainz finished 17th and 18th, two laps down on the rest of the field. It has been a miserable first half of the season, and more worrying, they are now behind Aston Martin.

Is it time for Williams to see results and not more promises from James Vowles?

Vowles claims Williams' upgrades over the summer will allow Albon and Sainz to 'consistently' score points 🤔

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Stroll and Alonso were a lap ahead of the Williams duo and have clearly leapfrogged their Grove rivals with the upgrades to the AMR26. While Aston Martin are showing signs of progression, Albon and Sainz are being left behind.

Vowles and his team have guided Williams from a hopeful position into complete misery, and they will be under huge pressure to turn around this unacceptable start to 2026.

Aston Martin and Newey have proved that it can be done, so the staff at Grove will need to knuckle down over the summer break to improve the FW47. If they cannot, it is hard to imagine Sainz sticking around for 2027, and maybe Vowles’ position may be called into question.