Newey drops bold claim about the AMR26 despite engine struggles

The Aston Martin team principal, who spoke to GPblog about the problems encountered by the Silverstone outfit through its development of the AMR26 challenger, offered an air of optimism. He detailed how, despite the engine vibrations plaguing the team, the chassis itself appears very solid.

“I look at our package and I don't feel as if we've particularly missed anything. Therefore, I believe that the car has huge, tremendous development potential in it,” Newey began.

Doubling down on his claim, Newey highlighted the aggressive development plan the team has underway, noting that the AMR26 car is currently just behind the pace-setters on the grid.

“It will take a few races for us to fully realise that potential. We've got quite an aggressive development plan underway. So it's fair to say that here in Melbourne we are a bit behind the leaders,” he added.

The 67-year-old concluded by highlighting his belief that his team is the fifth fastest, with the potential to be at the front at some point during the season.

“I would say we're maybe the fifth-best team, so sort of potential Q3 qualifiers on the chassis side, obviously not where we want to be, but with the potential to be up front at some point in the season,” Newey concluded.

Aston Martin’s start to the 2026 season hit a major snag after issues with its power unit were highlighted. Newey himself detailed the extent of vibration the team has noticed with the engine—an issue he flagged could damage the drivers’ nerves—before also noting uncertainty about the team completing the Australian Grand Prix.

Earlier, Lance Stroll laid bare the struggles of the AMR26 machinery. During his interaction with the media, the Canadian driver described the issues using some colourful language.

Stroll, however, remained optimistic about the possibility of the team resolving its problems.