Aston Martin team boss Andy Cowell claimed that the current Formula 1 car would be better if 2026 were not a massive regulation change.
For most of the season, the Silverstone-based team has struggled to compete in the midfield, falling behind the likes of Williams and Racing Bulls.
The AMR25 lacked the drivability of other cars – notably both drivers complained about the handling and overall speed.
The last race before the summer break in Hungary showed promising signs for the team.
Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC/Getty Images
Fernando Alonso finished in fifth and Lance Stroll secured seventh, netting the team a sizeable points haul and moving them to sixth in the standings.
While the last result was promising, it is clear that the team is putting all of their eggs in one basket – the 2026 regulation cycle.
Next season is set to bring a completely new engine formula and different aerodynamic components, presenting a perfect chance for a team like Aston Martin to climb up the grid.
Under the ownership of Lawrence Stroll, the team has invested big in facilities and staff, poaching legendary designer Adrian Newey from Red Bull.
All of these moves have been made with 2026 in mind, and according to Cowell, the team is paying for it now as they are using their development time on a new car rather than upgrading this year’s iteration.
“This year is hugely challenging because we’re here, and what we really want is to have the quickest car. And if ’26 wasn’t there, we would definitely have a quicker car today,” Cowell told Racing News 365.
“If, from the first of March, Adrian had put all his efforts into improving the ’25 car, [I’m] absolutely certain that we would be further up the grid today.
“But we’re not doing that, we’re focusing on ’26 onwards, because the investment will pay off over more racing seasons, over more events.
“And that’s challenging. On a Sunday evening… Saturday after qualifying, Sunday after a race, we’re not happy. Monday morning, we’re not happy. And then you get into the jobs list, and crack on.”
The team brought a new front wing for Hungary, which likely played a role in the performance uptick, but neither Stroll nor Alonso should expect any other meaningful decisions for the rest of the season.
Aston Martin appears happy to throw this season away if it means a great challenger in 2026 — making the current pain of extracting performance from the AMR25 worthwhile.
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