Led by Adrian Newey, Aston Martin is the final team on the grid to have unveiled its 2026 F1 season challenger. At a special launch event in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the team removed the covers from their 2026 car, the AMR26.
At the launch event, Team Principal Adrian Newey spoke on his design philosophy behind the team’s 2026 Formula 1 livery as the sport enters the new technical era.
Aston Martin F1 under a new lead in 2026 with Adrian Newey
Amid the technical regulation overhaul, the AMR26 marks a significant milestone for Aston Martin. Not only will this be the Silverstone outfit’s first livery with their new power unit partner, Honda, the AMR26 will also be the first designed under Newey’s lead.
The British designer is widely recognised as the most successful and greatest due to his unmatched success. The Briton has contributed to the success of many Formula 1 teams during his career. He has designed cars that have secured 14 Drivers’ Championships and 12 Constructors’ Championships across three teams.
Following the end of his successful Red Bull stint, Newey made the move to Aston Martin. He initially joined as the team’s Managing Technical Partner. From the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards, Newey takes over the role of Team Principal of Aston Martin. He started late last season.
The Briton also plays a significant role in the design and development of the AMR26.
Behind the AMR26
Speaking at the launch event in Dhahran, Newey opened up on the design process of the AMR26. He shared his thought process while working on the new package. He also touched on how he tackled the requirements of the new regulations. In his answer, the Briton also highlighted the significance of collaboration with the Aston Martin team.
“We all knew what the regulations were. They were published. So I just tried to sit back and think, OK, just think from first principles, what are these regulations? What could be a possible solution?
“Came up with a philosophy. And then when I started at the team on the 2nd of March, then kind of discussed that philosophy with the aerodynamicists and the designers at Aston Martin. We all agreed that that seemed a viable proposal. And that’s what we’ve followed ever since.“
Approaching the new regulation cycle
Newey is known to be excited by the challenge of a new regulation cycle. The Briton has historically been successful in his interpretation of the new regulations, as evident in his success over the years. He spoke on his personal success following the last regulation change in 2022. Those regulations saw Newey-designed cars clinch two Formula 1 Constructors’ Championships for Red Bull and three Drivers’ Championships with Max Verstappen.
Newey shared his thoughts on the varying interpretations from the other teams on the grid. He explained teams will eventually catch up. It was witnessed in the 2024 season when the grid closed up.
“Whenever there’s a big regulation change, there’s always huge opportunities. It’s who spots what and which one proves to be the correct solution, only time will tell. So you saw that in 2022 when the last big regulation change came out .Then start of 2022, there’s a lot of different interpretation solutions. In the end, one tended to turn out to be the correct or the most appropriate one. And that’s what by the, let’s say, the start of 24, everybody just started to converge on.”
Newey on developments throughout the 2026 F1 season
Aston Martin will now be turning their attention towards the pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit. The Silverstone outfit will continue to learn about its 2026 challenger.
Newey expects more developments to be done following testing in Bahrain. The Briton shared that he expects the AMR26 to look very different at the season-opener in Melbourne. Developments and upgrades will also continue to be done to the car throughout the season.
“I think this year, there’s likely to be a huge amount of development. I would imagine that for many teams, including to an extent ourselves, the car that they ran in the Barcelona pre-season will be a fair bit different to the car that they actually race in Melbourne. And that pace, I’m sure, will continue through the season.”
