Newey on Aston Martin's late start to 2026 car development
Adrian Newey says Aston Martin’s late start on its 2026 car left the team “several months behind” rivals, and that the Australian Grand Prix was a “wake-up call” after power unit problems meant its first proper running came in final practice. Newey said: "We didn't start serious work on the '26 car until mid-March 2025 and didn't get a model into the wind tunnel until mid‑April. That left us several months behind our rivals – and that's a huge gap to close. Melbourne was the wake‑up call. Because of various power unit challenges, our first proper running was actually Free Practice Three at the Australian Grand Prix."
Adrian Newey explains Aston Martin 'wake up call' after costly F1 delay
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Newey on Aston Martin's outdated tools and processes
Adrian Newey says Aston Martin’s “patched and bodged” tools and processes were “not fit for purpose” as he explained the structural issues behind the team’s troubled 2026 season. Newey said: "We were relying on tools and processes that had been patched and bodged for years – you could trace some of them right back to the very early days of the Jordan team that was based here in Silverstone, long before Aston Martin returned to the grid. At some point, a system that's just patch‑on‑patch stops being fit for purpose. That's where we had got to. The result was a very frustrating car build."
'Not fit for purpose' – Adrian Newey on structural problems behind Aston Martin's 2026 F1 disaster
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Wolff on Mercedes having no engine upgrade planned
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says the new power unit components fitted in Austria were not performance upgrades and that there is currently no engine upgrade planned. Wolff said: "No, they were just new power units. With that comes less mileage, comes a little bit more spiciness. But there was no upgrade in it, and at the moment there's no upgrade planned."
Mercedes has no ADUO F1 engine upgrade planned
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Newey on Alonso's 2027 future and Hungary upgrade package
Aston Martin boss Adrian Newey says the team’s upgrade package planned for the Hungarian Grand Prix could be enough to persuade Fernando Alonso to stay for the 2027 Formula 1 season. Newey said: "Fernando is really looking forward to the upgrade and, if it performs, we hope he'll be in the cockpit for another season. But he wants to see clear, tangible progress. If we can show that we're moving decisively in the right direction, he's absolutely committed to being behind the wheel."
Adrian Newey hopes Aston Martin upgrades keep Fernando Alonso "in the cockpit for another season"
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Newey on his health after difficult period away from races
Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey says he is “OK now” after a difficult period with his health that has kept him away from several races this season. Newey said: "I'm OK now, but it's been a difficult period. As I said earlier, it never rains but it pours. In truth, I was not 100 per cent last year. I had to balance health and work much more carefully. The team handled it incredibly well. I kept a very good relationship with the engineers and I don't feel it caused too much of a blip."
Adrian Newey lifts lid on health issues after Aston Martin absence
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Newey on Aston Martin's redeveloped AMR26 for Hungary
Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey says the team will introduce a substantially redeveloped AMR26 at the Hungarian Grand Prix after prioritising reliability and running without performance upgrades so far this season. Newey said: "The main structural elements remain the same - the chassis and gearbox architecture don't fundamentally change. But we've taken weight out of both, which required re-homologating and crash-testing the forward chassis. The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension is slightly revised. We've developed a new nose and substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces. So, while the core structure is similar, it's a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction. The target is to get very close to the weight limit."
Newey reveals Aston Martin's plans to fix its dire car and confirms recent health problems
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Krack on Aston Martin's first significant 2026 car upgrades
Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack says there is “light at the end of the tunnel” for the team as it works towards its first significant upgrades for its 2026 car. Krack said: "We are 80% or 90% or, you know, we're not so far away. Let's say there is light at the end of the tunnel, so we will get through the next two events with the situation we had already, but I think all in all, the way we have managed this is not bad."
Why there's 'light at the end of the tunnel' for Aston Martin
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Untelevised Hamilton v Verstappen captures post-Austrian GP battle exchange
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Wolff on Russell overthinking after Austrian Grand Prix win
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says George Russell should stop overthinking and focus on “just driving the car” after his Austrian Grand Prix win. Wolff said: "It's such a high-pressure environment that you can have a young team-mate and that's your year, and then he's so strong, you have a DNF, you're falling behind. I think, like every top athlete, you can get yourself in a spiral of overthinking. Sometimes you forget about the core essence and this is just driving the car. Don't overthink too much about the strategy, what Kimi is doing; drive the car as fast as you can. That's what I was trying to say."
Toto Wolff tells George Russell to stop overthinking after Austria win
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Nicholas on Red Bull's Austrian GP update package
Former Red Bull mechanic and now team ambassador Calum Nicholas said the scale of Red Bull’s Austrian Grand Prix update package “almost” felt like a “B-spec” car, and suggested a weight reduction programme may have been a major factor in the car’s performance. Nicholas said: "Everything from the sidepod inlet to the engine cover, the floor, the top section of the floor, the underside, rear corners, rear suspension fairings - it's a lot. And it does almost feel like a B-spec car. I wonder though if the vast majority of the pace that we've seen today has actually come from the diet programme that it's been under... upgrades that are under the bodywork, things that you can't necessarily see, or don't have to declare on an FIA document."
Red Bull's Austrian GP upgrade package compared to "B-spec" F1 car by former mechanic
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Round-up: Vettel reveals he ‘didn't want to race’ after Hubert’s fatal 2019 crash, and more
Silverstone set for record F1 crowd
Silverstone expects a record-breaking 565,000 spectators across this weekend’s British Grand Prix, which would make it the most-attended Formula 1 event ever and beat the 31-year mark set by the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide by 45,000. More than 175,000 tickets have been sold for Sunday alone, also a circuit record.
British Grand Prix: Half a million fans to go to Silverstone, new F1 attendance record
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Racing Bulls drivers dispute team order mix-up
Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad gave differing accounts of an apparent team order mix-up during the Austrian Grand Prix. Lawson said he had been told to manage his brakes and was assured he “wouldn’t be attacked,” only for Lindblad to pressure and pass him anyway. Asked whether the team would review the confusion internally, Lawson replied: “I would think so.” Lindblad, however, played down any suggestion of a mix-up, saying he had led for most of the second stint before an earlier final stop allowed Lawson to undercut him and regain the position.
Racing Bulls duo trade conflicting views over alleged F1 team order confusion
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Verstappen on Silverstone energy recovery challenge
Max Verstappen says energy recovery at Silverstone for this weekend’s British Grand Prix looks so difficult that he “started laughing” after doing a few laps on Red Bull’s simulator. Verstappen said: "Let's take it race by race [whether Red Bull can fight everywhere]. Silverstone, I love the track, but I did a few laps on the simulator, I just started laughing. It felt like a different track, to be honest. You barely have battery around the lap. It's just constantly flat. There you have long straights but in a fast corner, for example, so you can't really charge the batteries, and then the next straight you don't have a lot to spend. It's going to be a tough one."
Max Verstappen issues alarming concern: 'I just started laughing'
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Wolff on Verstappen behind Red Bull's Spielberg improvement
Toto Wolff says Max Verstappen was the “biggest factor” behind Red Bull’s improved performance at Spielberg, rather than the upgrade package the team brought to Austria. Wolff said: "I think the biggest factor this weekend was Max, to be honest. He's able to bring out everything that is in that car. You can see that with his teammates. That's why you can never discount or underestimate the Verstappen factor for a championship."
Wolff: Verstappen, not upgrades, powered Red Bull podium in Austria
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Albon on Williams communication after Austrian GP Q1 changes
Alex Albon says Williams needs to improve its communication after he said the team made changes to his car during Q1 at the Austrian Grand Prix without telling him. Albon said: "Yeah, we made some tweaks to the car between Q1 runs two and three that I was unaware of. I think, yeah, we could have done better, maybe just in communicating what changes were made to the car. We dug our own grave on that one."
Alex Albon issues Williams communication plea: 'We dug our own grave'
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FIA statement on marshal Harland
The FIA has sent its best wishes to Austrian Grand Prix marshal Harland after he suffered a heart emergency before Sunday’s race at the Red Bull Ring and was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. In a statement posted on X, the FIA said its “thoughts are with” Harland and added: “We wish Harland a full and speedy recovery, extend our best wishes to his family and loved ones, and thank him for his dedication and commitment to our sport.”
FIA sends best wishes after Austrian GP marshal suffers medical emergency
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Alonso on Aston Martin's encouraging progress in Austria
Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin made “very encouraging” progress from first practice to qualifying in Austria, and that his upbeat radio message after being knocked out in qualifying reflected the motivation inside the team despite running at the back. Alonso said: "I think the steps we did since FP1 to quali, they were very encouraging. It's very easy to get demotivated when you are last every weekend, but on the team, no one is giving up, and they are working to improve the car every session. So from the team, from the driver point of view, it gives you that motivation as well to don't give up, because they are not giving up."
Fernando Alonso explains motivational Aston Martin message after taking ‘huge steps' in Austria
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Ocon on Haas pace after Austrian GP finish
Esteban Ocon said his Haas felt like a “road car” after finishing 16th at the Austrian Grand Prix. Ocon said: "That was very similar in Monaco, it was very similar in Barcelona, and it's still a problem here, so I think the positive is that we exploited the maximum amount of what we have in hand, but obviously it's very far from where we should be. I mean, at the pace I'm going, to be honest, it's like driving in a road car."
Esteban Ocon's ‘road car’ verdict after Austrian GP misery
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Hadjar on Austrian GP fight with the front-runners
Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar said he had “good fun” in the Austrian Grand Prix during what he described as his first proper fight with Formula 1’s “big boys”, after finishing sixth from eighth on the grid. Hadjar said: "I don't remember a race in my career where I fought with the big boys, like the Ferrari, the McLarens. So that was good fun, that was a first. And I think we succeeded quite well. But yeah, if we had started a bit further up the grid, if it wasn't for deployment issues, I think there was a fourth place in the locker. So it's positive."
Isack Hadjar enjoys first proper fight with F1's "big boys"
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Bottas on Cadillac brake cooling redesign after Austrian retirements
Valtteri Bottas says Cadillac should accept an aerodynamic penalty to improve brake cooling after he and team-mate Sergio Perez retired from the Austrian Grand Prix with brake fires. Bottas said: "It is clear that we've got to re-design some bits; otherwise, we're not going to finish races. But there will be an aerodynamic cost to using a bigger brake, but I'll take that penalty to finish a race. We've got to start finishing races; that's when we learn."
Valtteri Bottas calls for Cadillac sacrifice after latest F1 car fires
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