All eyes are on Aston Martin and Adrian Newey as Formula 1 enters a new era with a new set of regulations, which will basically reset the pecking order within the sport.The Aston Martin AMR26 is the first car designed by Newey from the ground up, and it got tongues wagging in Barcelona when it hit the track despite only showing up on the penultimate day of the test.
Luring Newey to Aston Martin was a major achievement by Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll.
The Canadian has been spending lavishly on his F1 project since taking over the Racing Point operations back in 2018, building state-of-the-art facilities in Silverstone and poaching key personnel from rival teams, not to mention getting Honda on board as a works power unit supplier.
But will all these efforts bear fruit?
Former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese commented: “Aston Martin and Lawrence Stroll’s ambition is huge.
“They have everything in place. Newey, the factory, everything. Can they do well? I think if they are not ready immediately, I think they are coming for sure, and they will challenge very soon.
“They have the right ingredients,” the Italian added. “Even Alonso, even if he is a little bit older, as a driver with the right car and engine, then he can fight with the top drivers like Max [Verstappen] or [Charles] Leclerc, as I said.
“So, they have all the right ingredients. If they are not ready immediately, I think they are coming,” he insisted.
What of Audi?
Another team with huge ambitions are newcomers Audi, who have taken over Sauber and will start the 2026 F1 season with their own power unit.
While Audi did not set the world alight in Barcelona, Patrese insists they mean business; he said: “We have to see how good they are with the new engine.
“Audi is Audi, so when you talk about Audi, we know that when they did the things, even in the Endurance and at Le Mans, they were very good.
“Audi is not coming to F1 just to participate. They want to win. But it’s not easy to win. Ferrari has been waiting almost 20 years since the last championship,” the winner of six Grands Prix concluded. (Source:Â BetVictor Online Casino)