The highly anticipated on-track debut of the AMR26 has been delayed with Aston Martin F1 Team confirming that they would be skipping the opening three days of the Barcelona shakedown. While rival teams have begun their 2026 programs in Spain, the decision was taken by the Silverstone-based squad to extend their wait.
According to the Aston Martin F1 team: “The AMR26 will be in Barcelona later this week for its shakedown.” It further stated that “Our intention is to run Thursday and Friday.” Consequently, the first three days of the shakedown will be missed by the team.
Technical challenges and the Honda Partnership for Aston Martin F1
These logistical hurdles are being managed during a period of massive technical transition. The complexity of the new 2026 regulations was recently discussed by Andy Cowell.
It was observed by Cowell that “there’s a huge amount of development, testing going on. Both at Silverstone, so wind tunnel testing, prove out of components in readiness for going to Barcelona and then Bahrain. And the same in Sakura.”
However, the difficulty of the new regulations was highlighted as well. He noted: “It’s always a challenging time for a group of engineers. Pulling an advanced technology machine together. Getting it to perform well, getting it to be reliable. Getting it to the point where a driver can perform right on the very edge of performance.”
The internal expectations for the new partnership with Honda was addressed as well. It was stated by the CEO that, “And we’ve set tough targets. We’re really, really excited with this works partnership. This is a car that’s been created exclusively between Honda and Aston Martin.”
Despite this enthusiasm, the difficulty of the task was acknowledged as well, “We want to win. But we understand that Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. And it’s difficult, it’s challenging.”
The Adrian Newey factor for Aston Martin F1 Team
While the strategic focus remains on resolving technical issues before the first race of the season in Melbourne, it was observed by Cowell that, “It’s very rare that engineering organisations celebrate successes in the factory. So we are working hard on all the issues that we need to resolve.”
A positive atmosphere at the Technology Campus was reported, attributing to the presence of legendary designer and current Team Principal of Aston Martin, Adrian Newey.
It was highlighted by Cowell that, “The buzz in the Silverstone campus that’s come together over the last year. Pulling together an Adrian Newey designed Aston Martin Honda car is something that everybody is really revelling in and looking forward to seeing it on the track in not many days time. So [it’s] a really exciting time for us.”
While the delay in the Barcelona shakedown is significant, Aston Martin aims to “learn about the car on the track” as soon as it breaks its silence on Thursday.
