Where Aston Martin will qualify if Adrian Newey upgrades deliver promised ‘two seconds’

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The ‘rough figures’ regarding Aston Martin’s B-spec AMR26 that is set to debut at the Hungarian Grand Prix have emerged, and it is not looking good for fans of the Silverstone-based outfit.

With Aston Martin currently in turmoil with their 2026-spec Formula 1 challenger, the Hungarian Grand Prix has been widely tipped to be a stark turning point for the British constructor’s fortunes.

Are Aston Martin below ‘F1 standards’ right now, or is Guenther Steiner being unfair?

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Rather than drip-feeding the AMR26 upgrades as per the norm in F1, Adrian Newey has decided to release them all in one go with a B-spec chassis that is set to hit the circuit at the Hungaroring later this month.

However, ‘rough figures’ regarding the amount of time Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will find in the new look AMR26 suggest the team is unlikely to make up any ground on the rivals across the pit lane.

• READ MORE: British Grand Prix 2026: How to watch, F1 race and Sprint times, and Silverstone weather forecast

‘Rough figures’ suggest Aston Martin will still be plum last once Hungarian GP upgrades drop

During qualifying at the British Grand Prix, the Aston Martin duo of Alonso and Stroll languished at the bottom of the timesheets yet again. The Canadian will start from P21, while the two-time world champion will begin Sunday’s race in P22.

According to a social media post on X from F1 journalist Chris Medland, things are unlikely to change much once Aston Martin’s supposedly saving grace comes into effect later on this month.

“Been getting rough figures of Aston Martin’s B-spec car and new Honda power unit potentially combining for a step of two seconds, with a best case of 2.5s,” he wrote.

“Two seconds today still wouldn’t get it out of Q1, and by Zandvoort, other upgrades might have moved the cut-off further.

“The update is set to be a new chassis and aero package in Hungary and then PU at Zandvoort. Regardless of the gap, the main thing Aston needs to see is a shift in momentum and a clear step forward.”

• READ MORE: Adrian Newey was ‘convinced’ Aston Martin would have the best chassis in F1 by now

As Medland alluded to, taking two seconds off the lap times from Alonso and Stroll would not have seen them reach Q2 at Silverstone, indicating that the British constructor is likely to continue to be a backmarker following the implementation of their many upgrades.

Only time will tell whether or not Newey has missed yet another trick in his development of the AMR26, but it certainly is not looking good at this moment in time.