Aston Martin\u2019s Newey-designed AMR26 is being hailed by as being \u2018on another level\u2019, with insiders praising the team\u2019s attention to detail and relentless effort in bringing the car to the track.<\/p>\n
Having confirmed that it would be late to the pre-season shakedown, Aston Martin\u2019s inaugural Honda-powered car finally broke covers during the final hour of Thursday\u2019s running at the Circuit de Catalunya.<\/p>\n
Adrian Newey\u2019s Aston Martin AMR26 \u2018on another level\u2019<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Lance Stroll completed five laps before a suspected electrical issue brought his running to a premature end, the Canadian handing the car over to Fernando Alonso for Friday\u2019s running.<\/p>\n The Spaniard covered 49 laps and while his fastest time was over four seconds down on Lewis Hamilton\u2019s pace-setting time, reports from the circuit claimed he was running with a speed limit of up to 275 kph given it was Aston Martin\u2019s first full day out on track with the brand new Honda power unit.<\/p>\n The buzz around the AMR26, arguably the most hotly anticipated car of the year, was palpable, as rivals, pundits and fans tried to take a closer look at the Newey-led creation.<\/p>\n From its double-pushrod suspension to its 2005 McLaren-esque horns, PlanetF1.com technical editor Matt Somerfield noted<\/a> areas such as the nose, sidepods and engine cover, labelling the car a \u201cmasterclass\u201d.<\/p>\n More on Adrian Newey\u2019s Aston Martin AMR26<\/p>\n Adrian Newey masterclass revealed as Aston Martin AMR26 dissected<\/a><\/p>\n Is Adrian Newey going where others dare not with Aston Martin AMR26 suspension?<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAMR26 \u2013 my 25th F1 car build, but my first \u2018Newey\u2019 car,\u201d Neil Zambardi-Christie, a fabricator with Aston Martin and an F1 veteran, wrote on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been some great cars over the years (and a couple of shockers) but this one is on another level. The design and attention to detail is incredible, but what\u2019s more impressive is the way in which the entire team has risen to the challenges created by the designs and timeframes involved.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery single member of staff has had a hand in this, from the factory cleaners, right up to the technical directors, because it\u2019s a team effort and everyone should be proud of what we\u2019ve created.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people have worked crazy hours for months on end to get to here and the strain on them and their families and loved ones gets massively underestimated, but their commitment and dedication and sheer bloody hard work is what\u2019s got us to this point, so they deserve way more credit than they\u2019ll probably ever get, but it\u2019s a big thanks from me to all my colleagues. A fantastic team effort that I\u2019m proud to be part of.<\/p>\n \u201cTime will tell if it\u2019s any good, but if it goes as fast as it looks, we could be in for a good year\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Newey\u2019s AMR26 has also been applauded by Sky\u2019s Bernie Collins<\/a>, a former Aston Martin strategist.<\/p>\n \u201cQuite an aggressive design. Not painted is a good way to hide the aspects of the car,\u201d she said. \u201ct\u2019s very difficult in moving pictures to see any of the detail in there. I think that\u2019s one of the reasons why teams have run sort of that type of livery.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd at this stage, it doesn\u2019t need to be painted. They can get the paint on it in the next two weeks, if they want to, before they get it to Bahrain. So that\u2019s many reasons why not to do that. That is not necessary for the data that Adrian really needs in order to continue to develop this car.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it does look really, really, really good.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n