Alonso: Upgraded AMR26 gives Aston Martin a 'good baseline'

Aston Martin's heavily upgraded AMR26 showed genuine progress during its first full race weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix, giving Fernando Alonso his first Q3 appearance of the season and renewed optimism that the team can fight in the midfield. Although Alonso and Lance Stroll finished 14th and 13th without points, the race pace—particularly in the opening stint—suggested Silverstone finally has a competitive baseline to build on through the summer break.

Why it matters:

Aston Martin spent the opening months of 2026 stuck at the back of the grid, making Hungary a crucial test for its development direction. The AMR26 upgrade finally gave the team proof that it can race in the midfield rather than simply survive at the rear, changing the narrative heading into the second half of the championship.

The details:

• Alonso reached Q3 for the first time this season and finished 14th, while Stroll's 13th-place result was his best of the year and his most competitive weekend overall.
• Race pace was the real bright spot. Alonso said he could follow the midfield pack early in the race instead of falling back immediately, a clear step forward from the team's early-season struggles.
• Straight-line speed remains the Achilles' heel. Alonso noted the car still needs "extra speed on the straight" to convert its improved handling into actual points finishes.
• Stroll agreed, calling Hungary the first weekend in 2026 where Aston Martin was genuinely "in the mix with the midfield."

What's next:

Zandvoort is the next target. Aston Martin plans to introduce a revised power unit and further chassis developments at the Dutch Grand Prix to fix the top-speed issue that held the team back on Sunday. Both drivers see the summer break as a chance to reset, and Alonso is already framing the second half of the year as "a new start of the championship" if the upcoming parts deliver the expected straight-line boost.