2026 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team

[gearboxtrouble]

Wouldn't it be Audi because RBPT already supply 2 teams? Audi would have to be the default supplier for any team without an engine.

[FNTC]

Understandable that they would try to get the PU deemed to have the strongest ICE, not the next slowest. But it might all be politics/tactics so pressure Honda and the FIA too.

[KimiRai]

It would be great to face reality

Yea the chasis is still midfield tier, bang average. No delusions here. But it was a good effort to climb from absolute crap to something slightly respectable. Honda now needs to do the same (considering longer engine lead times). Is that fair?

[bigblue]

"I tried to spin the car around in the run-off, but I didn't have enough power, so unfortunately that was the end of the race. It's been a difficult weekend in Madrid."

ffs, come on Lance this is getting ridiculous...

(at astonmartinf1.com).

[FNTC]

Lol, they actually put that Lance quote on the official team site. I think father and son Stroll is getting fed up wit Honda. Yikes.

Newey's comments:

"A disappointing afternoon for us in Madrid.

"With Lance retiring early with damage and Fernando also suffering damage after contact with Carlos Sainz, we could not show our true pace.

"Fernando drove a solid race in front of the Spanish fans which helped to gather useful data on this new car for us to analyse.

"We now focus on Baku where we will bring further weight saving measures and continue to optimise the package."

[bigblue]

This is gradually going toxic, like the Honda and McLaren relationship. Just a lot faster.

[PlatinumZealot]

Barely faster than the Caddillac. We know the engine is weaker but the chassis aint that great either. Singapore will be the ultimate test of where the chassis really is at.

Honda is fooling us on the engine. The ADUO was actually more about reliability than power methinks.

[venkyhere]

"I tried to spin the car around in the run-off, but I didn't have enough power, so unfortunately that was the end of the race. It's been a difficult weekend in Madrid."

ffs, come on Lance this is getting ridiculous...

(at astonmartinf1.com).

I am pondering which one is the more brain-dead moment :
- the inability to spin, and the subsequent refusal to 'park' (partially atleast) into the billboard opening that removes the car from the track in Madring'26
- the decision to plough through wet mud to get back on track after a spinoff in Brazil'25 formation lap

[bigblue]

Brazil is the gold-standard.

tbf I haven't seen any video of what exactly happened today, except Lance going off into the run-off due to brake issues. I would like to see the failed spin-turn. Did he end up in the barriers, or did I imagine that? I thought they showed him in the barriers, then later showed a replay of him aborting into the run-off. That's all I saw. Now I think I may have misunderstood/imagined him in the barriers. I really don't know. The explanation of failing to get out of there though, is brilliant.

In his post-race interview he mentions picking up damage at the start of the race due to debris.

[venkyhere]

We know the engine is weaker but the chassis aint that great either. Singapore will be the ultimate test of where the chassis really is at.

1 -> Poor chassis -> lower speed through corners/straights -> lesser recharge -> lower deployment -> lower speed through corners -> doesn't expose chassis limitations -> chassis remains poor -> 1
2 -> poor PU -> lower speed through corners/straights -> lesser recharge -> lower deployment -> chassis not getting pushed to the limits -> doesn't expose deployment algorithm limitations -> PU remains poor -> 2

See how loops 1 and 2 are intertwined with each other due to PU not exposing chassis' problems and chassis not exposing PU problems ? There is no 'ultimate test of chassis' anywhere, for AMR26 in 2026.

[vassilispapadop]

"I tried to spin the car around in the run-off, but I didn't have enough power, so unfortunately that was the end of the race. It's been a difficult weekend in Madrid."

ffs, come on Lance this is getting ridiculous...

(at astonmartinf1.com).

With all due respect to Lance, he doesn't belong in F1. No serious team would want their second driver to be beaten 99.9% of race weekends, especially when your teammate is 45 years old. Yes, ALO is one of the greats of the sport, but come on—the guy is reaching his fifties, ffs.

[bigblue]

The team begs to differ,

“Lance is super fast,” the former F1 driver [Pedro de la Rosa] said. “You know, I love to watch data because I'm data-driven. And I like to see where one driver is faster than the other. And Lance, in many circuits, in many corners, is unbeatable.

(at motorsport.com).

[diffuser]

Understandable that they would try to get the PU deemed to have the strongest ICE, not the next slowest. But it might all be politics/tactics so pressure Honda and the FIA too.

I think this true.

[diffuser]

The team begs to differ,

“Lance is super fast,” the former F1 driver [Pedro de la Rosa] said. “You know, I love to watch data because I'm data-driven. And I like to see where one driver is faster than the other. And Lance, in many circuits, in many corners, is unbeatable.

(at motorsport.com).

And Pedro isn't paid by Lawrence Stroll

[F1doc]

With all due respect to Lance, he doesn't belong in F1. No serious team would want their second driver to be beaten 99.9% of race weekends, especially when your teammate is 45 years old. Yes, ALO is one of the greats of the sport, but come on—the guy is reaching his fifties, ffs.

Lance needs to go now. He has shown little interest when interviewed.

The retirement today was probably him thinking about rejoining, but then changing mind at the last moment to use it as an excuse to park up and give up on a race with no chance of points.