Aston Martin has been changing its roadmap as the months of 2025 have gone by. The goal remains the same: next season, not this year’s results. But it is important for the team to get to know the new tools it has at its disposal firsthand, and to do that, it needs to consolidate this season’s car so that it can go into next year feeling good.
The change with Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey was focused solely on 2026: since his arrival in March, it was said that he would only be involved in the AMR26 and would have no influence on the course of this season. And that has more or less been the case, although he has collaborated somewhat with the AMR25 engineering team and usually chats with them on a daily basis to exchange impressions. But beyond that, Newey remains focused on next season. It is true that the poor results at the start of the season required a change of strategy on the part of Lawrence Stroll. The result is more eyes on the AMR25, not to optimize results—which are expected to improve—but to find the best correlation between the track and the wind tunnel and thus obtain the best data for next season. Newey’s experience was key to the first updates and will also be key to the second ones, but with a secondary influence, leaving the current team free to act on their own.
The engineer is not deviating from his roadmap. He continues to make progress on next year’s car. It is true that at certain times of the day, he does hold discussions with the engineers and team in charge of the AMR25, puts forward his point of view, and they draw some conclusions that are very valid for the rest of the year.
New updates from Aston Martin
The next updates, scheduled for the F1 Silverstone Grand Prix, will bear the full stamp of the new wind tunnel. We are talking about an aerodynamic package that has a clear objective: to improve top speed and avoid such high tire wear. These improvements are based on the design of the AMR26 and will serve as a guide for the team and for Adrian Newey himself, who will be able to see whether the data from the wind tunnel corresponds to what is seen on the track. He is determined to squeeze every last drop out of next season’s car, and that means getting the best out of this year’s car.
The consequences for the AMR25 could be encouraging for Fernando Alonso, who is obviously 100% committed to this season and who could benefit from improvements that, if successful, could put him at the top of the midfield and in contention with some of the best teams. The first improvements meant a gain of about two tenths per lap, going from being the worst car to being in the fight in the midfield. A further gain—expected to be two or three tenths—could put him in a position to fight for more ambitious goals between now and the end of the season.
Latest update on the paper
This next package to be unveiled by Aston Martin at Silverstone is the last update planned for the AMR25 for the rest of the season. However, it cannot be ruled out that Adrian Newey and the team will continue to test things for the rest of the season. Everything the engineer has in mind for 2026, if the current regulations allow it, will be tested on the AMR25. This may mean there will be improvements, but it may also mean there won’t be any. Unlike the next package, which is expected to improve, the rest of the tests will be just that, tests, and anything could happen.
But for Fernando Alonso, this is very good news: although Adrian Newey remains focused on 2026, his wisdom and knowledge are key to the team that has just put together the improvements for the AMR25. Although the data from the new parts is key to the development of the AMR26, the current car can benefit from it.