Why Aston Martin are ‘counting the days’ to Hungary upgrades

(opens in a new tab)Sign InSubscribeF1ScheduleResultsStandingsDriversTeamsF1 UnlockedOpen menuFIA if(window.f1MobileDetection.iOSSafari) { var meta = document.createElement("meta"); meta.name = "apple-itunes-app"; meta.content = "app-id=835022598, app-argument=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/why-aston-martin-are-counting-the-days-ahead-of-crucial-test-in-hungary.4ZgRuYpf3BnrvBrqz4JwfC.4ZgRuYpf3BnrvBrqz4JwfC"; document.head.appendChild(meta); } {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/why-aston-martin-are-counting-the-days-ahead-of-crucial-test-in-hungary.4ZgRuYpf3BnrvBrqz4JwfC","url":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/why-aston-martin-are-counting-the-days-ahead-of-crucial-test-in-hungary.4ZgRuYpf3BnrvBrqz4JwfC","mainEntityOfPage":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/why-aston-martin-are-counting-the-days-ahead-of-crucial-test-in-hungary.4ZgRuYpf3BnrvBrqz4JwfC","datePublished":"2026-07-23T10:10:08.198Z","dateModified":"2026-07-23T10:10:08.198Z","headline":"Why Aston Martin are ‘counting the days’ ahead of crucial test in Hungary","author":"F1","description":"Aston Martin will be hoping to take a major step forward in terms of performance with their substantial upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.formula1.com/image/upload/f_auto/q_auto/v1784467665/trackside-images/2026/F1_Grand_Prix_of_Belgium/2286749734.jpg"},"isAccessibleForFree":"true","publisher":{"@type":"SportsOrganization","@id":"https://www.formula1.com#organization","name":"Formula 1","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.formula1.com/etc/designs/fom-website/social/f1-default-share.jpg","width":"480","height":"120"}}}Aston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollShow more tagsWhy Aston Martin are ‘counting the days’ ahead of crucial test in HungaryAston Martin will be hoping to take a major step forward in terms of performance with their substantial upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Belgian GP saw the end of a painful chapter for the Aston Martin Formula 1 team as the AMR26 ran its final race laps in its original specification. A substantially revised and lighter car will now make its bow in Hungary, giving the team some useful knowledge before further upgrades are introduced after the summer break, when a new spec Honda power unit will also be available. At Spa, Fernando Alonso crossed the line in 19th and last position, two laps down on winner Kimi Antonelli. His team mate Lance Stroll had already retired with a gearbox issue. The first 10 races of the season have produced just a solitary point, with Alonso surviving a high attrition Monaco GP and taking advantage of penalties for others to climb to P10. It’s far from what the former World Champion anticipated heading into 2026. “We had high hopes for this set of regulations,” Alonso said after Sunday’s race. “And Adrian [Newey]'s arrival in the team, and Honda, and things like that. So the expectations were very high, and we didn't meet the expectations. “It was just disappointing to see the car in Barcelona and Bahrain. But at the same time, everyone in the team took that as a challenge, and they want to make it happen, the comeback. “And hopefully Budapest will be the first step into that performance comeback, and I think hopefully the right direction in the team.” This weekend will be a huge test. Having accepted that the original car simply wasn’t good enough – its poor form compounded by early struggles with the 2026 Honda power unit – Team Principal Newey took the bold decision to commit to huge mid-season changes rather than follow the traditional pattern of step-by-step upgrades. It was a logical choice given that incremental gains were not going to be enough, and that any development has to be conducted within the constraints of the cost cap and the FIA’s aero testing restrictions. However it meant that the gap to rivals has been increasing each weekend as they brought upgrades and improved performance, while the AMR26 remained unchanged. Aston thus has to make significant lap time gains even to get onto terms with the likes of Cadillac, Williams and Haas. “We are quite happy that we’ll get some upgrades on the car,” Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack said after the Spa race. “I think everybody would expect, how much is it? Same for us. We will have to see. “For us the most important is that we go back racing, because we have not over the last events. It was very difficult to keep up with the midfield, and whatever it's going to bring, I think going racing is the most important for everyone.” Questioned further on the potential gains from the updates, Krack added: “As I said, we need to see what they bring. There are several steps. I think the period that we had now, with no upgrades for very long, is now over. “So it looks good for the future, and we are just all looking forward to Budapest and see what we have.” On the plus side the situation has helped to forge bonds – not just within the Aston camp but also with Honda – as everyone has worked together to turn things around. “This has been very tough for everyone for six months, since January,” said Krack. “I think the level of professionalism, the focus, and the resilience, for me they stand out over these six months. And still we're counting the days to Budapest.” Hungary will be a good test of the new chassis package, but the full picture won’t be seen until Honda delivers its upgraded power unit in Zandvoort. Recent race weekends have at least allowed both parties to learn more about PU management and the optimisation of energy deployment. “It's easy to point a finger,” said Krack. “But our partner and us sit together, and we said we are in this together, and we need to work hard to get out of it together. And we knew that there will be a lot of difficult moments, and we had more than one meeting where we discussed this. And I think it improved the relationship big time. “There's no point of getting frustrated about it, even if it's difficult at times. I think we need to be grown up, we need to be professional in such situations, and need to get ourselves out of it. “And if we manage to be in the game again very soon, then I think we can maybe sit together and look back at these last six months and take all the positives that we learn from it – maybe not directly on the technical side, but maybe more in collaboration and new insight.” Download the Official F1 AppYour ultimate companion into
the world of Formula 1 Legal & complianceTerms of Use Beyond The Grid - the F1® podcast F1FacebookXInstagramYouTube© 2003-2026 Formula One World Championship Limited