The Belgian GP saw the end of a painful chapter for the Aston Martin Formula 1 team as the AMR26 ran its final race laps in its original specification.<\/p>\n
A substantially revised and lighter car will now make its bow in Hungary<\/a>, giving the team some useful knowledge before further upgrades are introduced after the summer break, when a new spec Honda power unit will also be available.<\/p>\n At Spa, Fernando Alonso<\/a> crossed the line in 19th and last position, two laps down on winner Kimi Antonelli<\/a>. His team mate Lance Stroll<\/a> had already retired with a gearbox issue.<\/p>\n The first 10 races of the season have produced just a solitary point, with Alonso surviving a high attrition Monaco GP and taking advantage of penalties for others to climb to P10<\/a>. It\u2019s far from what the former World Champion anticipated heading into 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had high hopes for this set of regulations,\u201d Alonso said after Sunday\u2019s race. \u201cAnd Adrian [Newey]’s arrival in the team, and Honda, and things like that. So the expectations were very high, and we didn’t meet the expectations.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just disappointing to see the car in Barcelona and Bahrain. But at the same time, everyone in the team took that as a challenge, and they want to make it happen, the comeback.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd hopefully Budapest will be the first step into that performance comeback, and I think hopefully the right direction in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n This weekend will be a huge test. Having accepted that the original car simply wasn\u2019t good enough \u2013 its poor form compounded by early struggles with the 2026 Honda power unit \u2013 Team Principal Newey took the bold decision to commit to huge mid-season changes rather than follow the traditional pattern of step-by-step upgrades.<\/p>\n It was a logical choice given that incremental gains were not going to be enough, and that any development has to be conducted within the constraints of the cost cap and the FIA\u2019s aero testing restrictions.<\/p>\n However it meant that the gap to rivals has been increasing each weekend as they brought upgrades and improved performance, while the AMR26 remained unchanged.<\/p>\n Aston<\/a> thus has to make significant lap time gains even to get onto terms with the likes of Cadillac<\/a>, Williams<\/a> and Haas<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are quite happy that we\u2019ll get some upgrades on the car,\u201d Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack said after the Spa race. \u201cI think everybody would expect, how much is it? Same for us. We will have to see.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us the most important is that we go back racing, because we have not over the last events. It was very difficult to keep up with the midfield, and whatever it’s going to bring, I think going racing is the most important for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Questioned further on the potential gains from the updates, Krack added: \u201cAs I said, we need to see what they bring. There are several steps. I think the period that we had now, with no upgrades for very long, is now over.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it looks good for the future, and we are just all looking forward to Budapest and see what we have.\u201d<\/p>\n On the plus side the situation has helped to forge bonds \u2013 not just within the Aston camp but also with Honda \u2013 as everyone has worked together to turn things around.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been very tough for everyone for six months, since January,\u201d said Krack. \u201cI think the level of professionalism, the focus, and the resilience, for me they stand out over these six months. And still we’re counting the days to Budapest.\u201d<\/p>\n