Aston Martin delays AMR26 debut to final days of Barcelona shakedown

Aston Martin has confirmed that the AMR26 will not appear at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya until the final two days of this week's shakedown test. While teams are permitted to run for three days between Monday and Friday, the Silverstone-based squad plans to limit its track time to Thursday and Friday, falling short of the available allocation.

Why it matters:

This is a critical moment for the team. The AMR26 is the first car developed under the leadership of Adrian Newey as managing technical partner and the first product of the works partnership with Honda. Losing valuable track time during the shakedown—especially when rivals are already logging miles—puts the team on the back foot before the season officially begins. Speculation regarding potential weight and engine issues only adds to the pressure surrounding this highly anticipated project.

The details:

• The Schedule: Aston Martin stated the car will be in Barcelona "later this week," targeting Thursday and Friday for running. This means they will miss the first three days of the five-day window.
• Competitor Activity: Most of the grid, including Mercedes, Red Bull, Audi, Alpine, and Racing Bulls, began their programs on Monday. Ferrari and McLaren are set to join on Tuesday, with Williams being the only other team skipping the test entirely due to build delays with the FW48.
• Unanswered Questions: The team provided no official explanation for the late arrival. However, recent online chatter has suggested the squad may be grappling with weight distribution and power unit concerns.

What's next:

The team will need to maximize every lap during Thursday and Friday to gather necessary data. With the new regulations and high expectations for the Newey-Honda alliance, Aston Martin will be hoping to prove that the delayed start is merely a strategic setback rather than a sign of deeper technical problems.