Newey on 'unexpected' failure, upgrade plan and new Honda vibrations - The Race

What the report says

The Race reported that Aston Martin’s revised AMR26 made a disrupted first appearance at the Hungaroring on Friday, with Adrian Newey speaking to media shortly after the B-spec car ran in practice. Lance Stroll stopped less than 40 minutes into FP1 with what the team suspected was a suspension-related mechanical problem, while Fernando Alonso showed comparatively stronger pace in the other car. Newey said the failed area was not part of the main upgrade, though there were small associated changes and the team was still investigating.

The report said Alonso was told by radio to avoid kerbs during push laps, but Newey explained this was to protect aerodynamic data gathering rather than because of a known fault with the new package. The Race also noted visible oscillations on both cars’ onboard footage, raising the issue of Honda-related vibrations that had troubled Aston Martin earlier in the season. Newey said Honda could see the behaviour in the data and was working on it.

Aston Martin’s Hungary update is described as the first stage of a wider chassis overhaul. Newey said more components are planned for Zandvoort after the summer break, alongside Honda’s only engine upgrade, with another chassis step provisionally due at Monza or Baku in September. He said early signs were encouraging but cautioned that the package would not immediately make Aston Martin the fastest car.

The Race framed the upgrade as important after a difficult start to the season and potentially significant to Alonso’s future with the team. Newey said the immediate aim was to restore respectability before trying to make further progress.