The AMR26, the first Aston Martin F1 car to be designed by Newey since his high-profile move from Red Bull, brought the paddock to a standstill when it took to the track for the first time in last month\u2019s shakedown in Barcelona.<\/p>\n
As noted in his in-depth analysis of the AMR26<\/a>, PlanetF1.com tech editor Matt Somerfield wrote that the car has a range of fascinating design features with some seemingly inspired by the experiences of Newey\u2019s illustrious F1 career.<\/p>\n The car\u2019s rear suspension has emerged as a particular area of focus, with Mercedes driver George Russell describing the AMR26 as \u201cprobably the most standout in terms of car design\u201d in F1 2026.<\/p>\n Russell told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets this week:\u00a0\u201cI think everybody was looking at that rear suspension and it obviously visually looks very impressive.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s not a competition of how sexy it is, it\u2019s a competition of how fast it goes around the track.\u201d<\/p>\n Vowles has become the latest paddock figure to highlight the car\u2019s rear suspension, describing Newey\u2019s first Aston Martin as \u201creally impressive\u201d from an engineering perspective.<\/p>\n Matt Somerfield tech analysis: Adrian Newey\u2019s Aston Martin AMR26<\/p>\n Adrian Newey masterclass revealed as Aston Martin AMR26 dissected<\/a><\/p>\n Push-rod vs Pull-rod: How F1 teams are shaping 2026 suspension strategies<\/a><\/p>\n Asked to name the most impressive cars at the recent Barcelona test, Vowles also highlighted the reliability of the Red Bull-Ford engine, the consistency of the Ferrari SF-26 and the \u201crobust and reliable\u201d Mercedes W17.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cFirst of all, I\u2019ve been really impressed with Red Bull, especially on the power unit side.<\/p>\n \u201cTo do a power unit from scratch and turn out to be that reliable is mighty. Well done to them.<\/p>\n \u201cNumber two: Ferrari\u2019s consistency. Perhaps the outright pace is in question, but the consistency is really impressive for them again from the get go.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Mercedes always.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew, I [was] there for a long time, they\u2019re very good at getting regulation changes right and walking out with a package that\u2019s just robust and reliable.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if you\u2019re doing a race sim just about a day into testing, it\u2019s very, very impressive.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then finally, you mentioned the Aston. It\u2019s really impressive.<\/p>\n \u201cAdrian is just a creative designer and it\u2019s really impressive what he\u2019s done with wishbones in places that I don\u2019t think they should be, but he\u2019s done them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s interesting, though, is it\u2019s exactly that that you need as a narrative.<\/p>\n \u201cI mentioned before it\u2019s hard for anyone to tell you where the ordering is, because also I don\u2019t think the cars you necessarily see today will be the cars you see in Melbourne.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what makes it interesting in the beginning of season.<\/p>\n \u201cSo they\u2019ve impressed me, but where they all sit? It\u2019s hard to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n On the Aston Martin AMR26, Vowles added: \u201cIn terms of Adrian, I sort of intonated it a bit, but you\u2019ll see it on our front wishbone. It\u2019s slightly different.<\/p>\n \u201cBut where Adrian\u2019s gone is\u2026 Adrian: very impressive, very creative, very extreme.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to be the designer for that one, let\u2019s put it that way\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Vowles\u2019 comments come after Newey confirmed earlier this week that the AMR26<\/a> will be \u201cvery different\u201d when the opening race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix, takes place on March 8.<\/p>\n A high rate of development is expected in 2026, the first year of the new chassis and engine regulations.<\/p>\n Despite Vowles\u2019 admission that Williams\u2019 front suspension is \u201cslightly different\u201d for 2026, the team has made a concerted effort to keep its design a secret ahead of next week\u2019s second pre-season test in Bahrain.<\/p>\n As reported by PlanetF1.com on Thursday<\/a>, the showcar and renders released by Williams at launch had some suspension arms missing.<\/p>\n The team later confirmed that it has opted for a pullrod front suspension and pushrod rear suspension for the FW48, with Williams going on to publish the first official image of the car on track in a shakedown at Silverstone (below).<\/p>\n Alex Albon (Williams FW48) in action at the Silverstone shakedown<\/p>\n Williams\u2019 suspension choice means it is the only team to opt for a split between pushrod and pullrod suspension for 2026.<\/p>\n Most teams have elected to run a pushrod suspension at both the front and rear for the new season.<\/p>\n Alpine and Cadillac are the only teams running a double-pullrod suspension.<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Thomas Maher<\/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![\"Aston](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Aston-Martin-AMR26-rear-suspension-410x424.jpg\")
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