The on-track unveiling of the new Aston Martin AMR26 did not go unnoticed during the Barcelona shakedown and, far from lowering expectations, Adrian Newey’s first statements confirmed that the project is aimed at constant evolution. The British designer broke his silence and shared details about the technical approach of the single-seater that will usher in the new regulatory era.

The AMR26, the first car developed under Newey’s direction at Aston Martin, showcased a striking concept from its debut, although the engineer himself made it clear that what was seen in Spain does not represent a final version. “The AMR26 in Melbourne will be very different from the one we saw in Barcelona. And the one that finishes the season will be very different from the one that started it,” he explained, underlining the project’s dynamic nature.

The designer avoided using grand labels to describe his creation and stayed true to his working philosophy. “I never consider my designs aggressive. I just follow the direction I believe is right,” he said. At the same time, he acknowledged that some solutions may appear unconventional. “The path we’ve taken may look aggressive, as there are features that haven’t been implemented before. Does that make it aggressive? Possibly. Or possibly not,” he added.

Beyond the visual aspect, Newey focused on interpreting the regulations. “No one knows the correct interpretation of the regulations. But we take a direction, follow it, and time will tell if it’s the right one,” he stated. In that regard, he emphasized that the concept was designed to allow room for development. “We’ve built something that has a lot of potential to evolve. We avoided fully optimizing it from the start,” he detailed.

The work also aimed at improving the car’s drivability. “Aston Martin was an example of a car that was difficult to drive in the previous generation. Now we want Lance and Fernando to be able to extract a consistent level of performance,” he explained, making it clear that the design seeks to make the drivers’ job easier.

Newey also described the AMR26’s design process. “The design starts with weight distribution, then moves on to suspension and wings. After that come the sidepods and the treatment of the rear end,” he explained, highlighting the compact packaging of the rear as one of the challenges.

Finally, he acknowledged that the project faced initial difficulties. “The wind tunnel wasn’t ready until April, and that left us with less development time. The car was finished right at the limit, which is why we arrived in Barcelona just in time,” he concluded.

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