Aston Martin to unveil 2026 F1 car in Saudi Arabia launch event

Aston Martin will reveal the livery and design of its Adrian Newey-penned AMR26 on February 9th in a live event from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The launch marks a pivotal new era for the Silverstone team, featuring its first car designed by the legendary engineer and the commencement of its exclusive power unit partnership with Honda.

Why it matters:

This launch represents one of the most anticipated car reveals in recent F1 memory, signaling Aston Martin's serious intent to become a championship contender. The combination of Adrian Newey's aerodynamic genius and a factory Honda engine partnership provides the team with its most potent technical foundation since its return to the grid, potentially reshaping the competitive order for the 2026 season and beyond.

The details:

• Event Timing: The main launch event begins at 22:00 local time in Saudi Arabia (19:00 GMT) on Monday, February 9th.
• How to Watch: The reveal will be streamed live on Aston Martin's social media channels and on Sky Sports F1. An extended pre-show will be available on the team's TikTok channel starting 45 minutes earlier at 18:15 GMT.
• Key Attendees: Team executive chairman Lawrence Stroll, drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, and Managing Technical Partner Adrian Newey will all be present. The event will feature music from The World of Hans Zimmer, performed by cellist Jodok Cello.
• Technical Partners: Key partners Aramco, Honda, and Valvoline will also be featured during the launch presentation.

What's next:

The car's unveiling kicks off a critical pre-season period. Official pre-season testing is scheduled for February 11-13 at the Bahrain International Circuit, followed by a second test from February 18-20. The 2026 F1 season will then officially commence with the Australian Grand Prix, held from March 6-8 in Melbourne.