This forum contains threads to discuss teams themselves. Anything not technical about the cars, including restructuring, performances etc belongs here.
As title, seems to be a natural curiosity about the next generation of car with Honda PU.
To give this a platform that's not within this years car, interest in AN impact on that design specifically, new gearbox etc should untangle it from current (2025 season) speculation and commentary.
Not really related to the 2026 car or engine but on the livery. I see some potential for a special livery next year with Ma'aden and Honda white combined with Aston green. Picture the 2025 one but with much more white on it. It could look great.
This will be unpopular but I think people are pinning way too much hope on Newey. Given the time, could he and AM get to the top eventually? Sure. But it's not like he came into Red Bull and they won right away. It took four years. And sure, AM has top-class infrastructure and infinite money which might theoretically get you the best chance of success. But how many races did Toyota win? How many UCL titles does PSG have? Money and/or raw talent is no guarantee of success.
Let's be real here. Force India finished 5th, 4th, and 4th in the WCC in the three years before the Stroll era. With no money and two "midfield" drivers. Since then, (when they design their own car instead of copying Mercedes) they only have two P5s in the WCC despite having most of the "roadblocks" to success removed. Two P5s in 5 years (not counting Tracing Point season). And while Newey is good, it took *eight years* of the turbo-hybrid PU rules for a Newey car to win a championship in that era. Why makes people think that "this time it will be different" with any factual reasoning beyond fandom and blatant hope?
"You can't argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience"
- Mark Twain
Aston should win in 2026, with the list of everything they now have at there disposal, new factory, new wind tunnel, new simulator, works engine deal, Adrian Newey, Fernando Also, etc.
I just can't see it happening though, F1 is more about the sum of the parts than the pieces individually.
