Radical Aston Martin 'on another level' as striking Adrian Newey influence clear

The radical-looking 2026 Aston Martin F1 car has been described as "on another level" with "incredible attention to detail" as the Adrian Newey design turned testing heads.

The Honda-powered machine did not head out on track in Spain until late on Thursday, with Lance Stroll completing a handful of slow laps, before veteran Fernando Alonso drove a Newey-designed car for the first time on Friday, completing 49 laps. 

Aston Martin has high hopes for the new era of F1, with heavy investment into a state-of-the-art factory at Silverstone, a works Honda engine deal, as well as signing design genius Newey, with his take on the regulations eagerly anticipated.

Newey's eye-catching design was dissected by RacingNews365's technical analyst Paolo Filisetti, as an old team hand took to social media to describe the process behind the AMR26.

"AMR26 - my 25th F1 car build, but my first "Newey" car," Neil Zambardi-Christie, the fabrication leader, wrote on LinkedIn, having been with the team since its Jordan days and through the Midland, Spyker, Force India, and Racing Point guises.

"There's been some great cars over the years (and a couple of shockers), but this one is on another level. The design and attention to detail is incredible, but what's more impressive is the way in which the entire team has risen to the challenges created by the designs and timeframes involved. 

"Every single member of staff has had a hand in this, from the factory cleaners, right up to the technical directors, because it's a team effort and everyone should be proud of what we've created. 

"A lot of people have worked crazy hours for months on end to get to here and the strain on them and their families and loved ones gets massively underestimated, but their commitment and dedication and sheer bloody hard work is what's got us to this point, so they deserve way more credit than they'll probably ever get, but it's a big thanks from me to all my colleagues. 

"A fantastic team effort that I'm proud to be part of.

"Time will tell if it's any good, but if it goes as fast as it looks, we could be in for a good year..."