Fernando Alonso continues to highlight the problems faced by Aston Martin in races, particularly in terms of top speed and aerodynamics. These issues are already being addressed by the factory and appear to have a resolution date set for the Silverstone Grand Prix, which takes place on the first weekend of July. The team, led by Adrian Newey, is working hard at the factory.
Aston Martin improvements
Fernando Alonso has asked Aston Martin to take a small step, to make one more effort. These words are not aimed at the new updates themselves, which are already in the final stages and the Asturian knows this, but rather at the speed with which they will arrive. The team is focused on 2026, Alonso knows this and does not want the development of the AMR25 to influence next season, but he knows that the last package of the season—as we reported exclusively in Grada3—is ready and only the final checks are needed before it can be installed in the car.
These will almost certainly arrive at Silverstone, the home GP for Aston Martin, whose team is based just a few meters from the circuit. In the meantime, checks will have to be completed to confirm its performance in the AMR25.
The role of Adrian Newey
The arrival of Adrian Newey is proving decisive for Aston Martin, and although the engineer is 100% focused on 2026, his influence has been felt since he set foot in the factory back in March, and he is indirectly influencing the AMR25. He has studied this year’s car and is responsible for sharing information on an almost daily basis with the team still working on this season’s car.
On the other hand, he is building the design of the AMR26, and everything that can be used for this season is being applied to Fernando Alonso’s car. Although his work is focused on 2026, he has to keep an eye on how the elements they are testing this year behave, which is useful for cross-referencing data with the wind tunnel and the simulator.
Therefore, although he is not directly involved in the AMR25, all his work is available to the team to be implemented in this season’s car.
What the new improvements mean
The improvements will be a step forward for Aston Martin in terms of aerodynamics, and this will have two decisive effects on the AMR25. Top speed will be improved and tyre degradation will be reduced, which has been the weak point of the current Aston Martin. Being cautious, an improvement of two tenths is expected, but behind closed doors, the factory hopes that it can be improved by 3 or even 4 tenths per lap, which could allow Fernando Alonso to fight at the top of the grid. Victories are almost impossible, something would have to happen in a race and it could happen by chance, but they are hopeful of being able to scrape a podium.
Adrian Newey has brought hope to Aston Martin. Although he is not working directly on the AMR25, his work for next year is being used to improve things in this final stretch of the season. The first step forward has been a big one—with the updates at Imola—but the current one is expected to be even bigger.