Aston Martin Rejects Sainz Theory of Best Midfield Chassis After Hungary Upgrades

Carlos Sainz claimed Aston Martin now fields the best chassis in Formula 1's midfield after its Hungarian Grand Prix upgrades, but the Silverstone outfit has publicly pushed back on that flattering assessment.

Why it matters:

Sainz's comments highlight how a single upgrade package can reshuffle the fiercely contested midfield order. For Aston Martin, the remarks reflect real progress with its B-spec AMR26, yet the team's cautious stance suggests it is wary of overstating its position while chasing consistent front-running form.

The details:

• Sainz told media that Aston Martin went from having "worse downforce" and a "worse chassis" than Williams to the "best midfield downforce" after introducing a 16-part upgrade in Hungary.
• Chief trackside officer Mike Krack rejected the claim, stating "I don't think so" when asked about Sainz's verdict.
• Alonso's perspective: Despite Krack's dismissal, Fernando Alonso noted the car was matching top midfield pace through corners with no "big deficit" remaining after analyzing Friday data.
• Confirmed gains: Krack admitted the revised AMR26 is "lighter and has more downforce," helping the team leapfrog Cadillac and Williams while battling Haas and Alpine at the Hungaroring.
• Lost time: Lance Stroll missed FP2 due to an FP1 issue, costing the team valuable setup time to fully optimize the new package across both cars.

What's next:

Aston Martin will bring further tweaks to the AMR26 at Zandvoort, where an upgraded Honda power unit is also set to debut. Krack conceded the true potential of the Hungary package will only become clear in coming races, with engineers still analyzing data to unlock the full performance of Adrian Newey's evolving car.