Aston Martin use extraordinary comparison in 'boundary-pushing' update

Aston Martin is developing its F1 car for the 2026 season at a rate "quicker" than it has ever seen before, according to team principal and CEO Andy Cowell.

The 56-year-old spoke about the twin impact of the Silverstone squad's new wind tunnel and adding world-class aerodynamicist Adrian Newey into the fold, highlighting how he "pushes the boundaries" of what is possible.

Although mired in a difficult campaign at the end of the current F1 rules set, the regulations overhaul on the horizon provides significant opportunity for Aston Martin, especially given the considerable financial strength afforded through owner Lawrence Stroll.

The Canadian has bankrolled wholesale upgrades to the team's base and brought in major signings, including Newey, to spearhead the operation as the new era looms.

So, despite the team having slipped to a lowly eighth place in the constructors' standings this term, there is optimism that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will have more competitive machinery next season.

"The new facilities just help us have everything at our fingertips," Cowell told media, including RacingNews365.

"Having the aerodynamicists a short stroll away from the model build area and the wind tunnel section just helps speed everything up.

"Having Adrian join us since March, firing up the drawing board, and the machine that is required downstream of that, has just added some extra impetus to what we're doing for '26... We had both Fernando and Lance in the wind tunnel section with the model and Adrian.

"Adrian was talking about the features on the model... he pushes the boundaries. He packages ten things into the space where only one would normally fit, and all the engineers see that as a challenge."

Lofty praise from Cowell

Cowell, who took over team principal responsibilities from Mike Krack at the turn of the year, likened the development to "watching 100 people all run 100 metres sub-ten seconds, with perfect baton passes" to emphasise just how slick and well-oiled the team is.

This is directly being translated into the 2026 car, which, powered by Honda as part of a new works deal, hopes to fight at the front again, as it did for the first half of 2023.

"It's not just the engineers," Cowell added. "It's the whole group of people within the aerodynamics development area.

"The pace with which we're creating changes on the '26 wind tunnel model is quicker than we've ever done before. It really is very impressive.

"It is like watching 100 people all run 100 metres sub-ten seconds, with perfect baton passes. It's very exciting to see, and all of that is enabled by having the facilities, and the people and the methods. So yeah, it's an exciting journey into '26."