Aston Martin Ends Major 2026 Aero Upgrades

Overview

• Aston Martin technical chief Enrico Cardile has confirmed the Hungary and Zandvoort packages will be the last significant aerodynamic upgrades scheduled for the AMR26 this season.
• The team is prioritising a 'significant' weight‑reduction programme that Cardile says should bring the car close to the minimum weight by the Azerbaijan (Baku) Grand Prix and deliver a clear lap‑time gain.
• Honda supplied a Spec 2 power unit that improved drivability at Zandvoort but still showed deficits at power‑sensitive tracks such as Monza, and Cardile publicly restated Aston Martin's commitment to the Honda partnership.
• From Baku onwards Aston Martin expects to run the AMR26 in its final specification while engineering capacity is shifted toward designing an entirely new car for the radically different 2027 rules.
• The Hungary and Zandvoort upgrades restored competitiveness and yielded results such as Fernando Alonso's P9, but ongoing power‑unit limits and the move to focus on weight and 2027 design will determine the team's short‑term race prospects and longer‑term recovery.