Fernando Alonso believes that the new AMR26 is heading in the right direction and is particularly pleased with the correlation between simulations and the track.
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Highly anticipated for several months, the profoundly revised version of the Aston Martin AMR26 finally made its track debut this Friday during free practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The British team introduced no less than 16 new parts, practically transforming its single-seater.
Only the front suspension, engine, and gearbox were retained, with the rest of the car having been largely revised. The objective is clear: to lay the foundations for Aston Martin’s recovery before the end of the season and prepare for the 2027 project.
While the day was disrupted by Lance Stroll’s suspension failure, limiting him to just eleven laps, Fernando Alonso was able to complete a good part of the development program and draw particularly positive initial conclusions.
A more predictable car
Thirteenth in FP1 then nineteenth in FP2, after his best lap was deleted for exceeding track limits, Alonso did not focus on lap times to judge this first day.
The Spaniard particularly highlighted the change in the car’s behavior, which he now considers much easier to exploit than at the start of the season.
“It was much better, really much better. The car felt more planted to the ground and easier to drive to some extent. When you master the grip in the corners, it becomes more predictable and easier to drive, even if we still have a long way to go.”
According to the two-time world champion, this evolution is an encouraging first step, but Aston Martin will still need to continue its development to return sustainably to the midfield.
Correlation with simulations reassures Aston Martin
Beyond the car’s behavior, one element particularly satisfies Fernando Alonso: the data observed on track matches the engineers’ expectations.
This correlation between wind tunnel simulations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations, and the actual behavior of the single-seater is essential for the team’s future development.
“It’s clearly a step in the right direction. The car more or less matches what we expected, and that’s undoubtedly the most encouraging thing. What we thought this new package would bring has indeed been confirmed on track.”
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For Alonso, this validation is also crucial for the next generation of single-seaters.
“This is exactly the kind of correlation we will need for next year’s project. I think there is now a very positive atmosphere within the team.”
Further progress is already expected
The Spanish driver, however, reminds us that this evolution is only the first step in a much more ambitious development plan.
According to him, Aston Martin will still need to make progress on both the chassis and the power unit to close the gap with the top teams.
“This is just the beginning. We still need to find more performance on the chassis, but also on the engine. Zandvoort will be a good test with the new engine.”
Alonso nevertheless believes that the chosen direction is the right one and that the upcoming developments should confirm this dynamic.
Still unexploited potential
Fernando Alonso also believes that the performance shown on Friday does not yet reflect the true potential of this new AMR26.
Session interruptions, track traffic, and the time spent evaluating new parts prevented Aston Martin from fully exploiting its package.
“The red flag and traffic made it difficult to complete a perfect lap. We mainly focused on testing the new parts and understanding the direction to take with the setup, which might be very different from what was used in recent races.”
The Spaniard therefore remains convinced that it is still possible to unlock more performance over the weekend.
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“I think there is still potential to exploit, I hope.”