AMR26 makes debut at Barcelona Shakedown

The team made its 2026 track debut with the AMR26 taking part in the final two days of the Shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Lance Stroll was at the wheel of Aston Martin Aramco's first-ever Adrian Newey-designed Formula One machine, with an all-new Honda power unit, on Thursday. He completed a handful of laps towards the end of the day's running.

"It felt good to be in the cockpit for the first time this year," said Lance, reflecting on his very early impressions of the AMR26. "It was a long day for all the mechanics and everyone in the team but they did a good job of getting the car ready. They pushed flat out. I really appreciate all the hard work that went into getting us on track.

"We got a few laps in at the end of the day and the car was feeling good. Because so much is new on these cars, there's a lot to learn and so we're just aiming to gather as much data as possible at the moment.

"It was good to get behind the wheel of the AMR26 for the first time and start to get a feel for the car. I look forward to getting to Bahrain and driving it again."

Fernando Alonso drove the AMR26 for the first time on Friday, completing running across both the morning and afternoon sessions, with the team focused on mileage accumulation and initial reliability checks. He completed a total of 61 laps.

"It's always a special moment driving a new car for the first time, especially at the start of a new regulation cycle," said Fernando. "Over the years I've experienced many changes in Formula One, and you quickly get a sense of the direction the car is taking.

"We completed a solid programme with strong mileage, which is the main priority at this stage.

"It was very special seeing Lance take the AMR26 out on the track for the first time yesterday and to then get to drive it myself. There's been a tremendous effort from everyone in the team to get the car to this point. It's been a very intense period but I think we can be pleased with what we've done so far.

"And it's been good having Adrian here with us. Everyone is super motivated seeing him in the garage; he's been talking to the mechanics and engineers and noting down details about the car.

"It's still very early days and we have a lot of work still to do before we head to Melbourne in March."

"It's always a very positive moment when you run a new car for the first time," added Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack.

"Bringing the AMR26 to life here in Barcelona has taken a big effort, both back at the AMR Technology Campus and from the team working trackside.

"A lot of hard work has gone in to get to this point, and there's a lot of work still to come, but we can take a breath and be happy that we rolled the car out this week. I want to thank everyone across the team for the work that's gone into getting us to this point.

"Having both drivers in the car and providing valuable feedback and data is an important part of our pre-season preparations.

"It's also been helpful as we continue building our working relationships with new works partners, including Honda. We're learning to work together and integrate as much as we can. They are racers and we're really looking forward to developing our partnership. It's an exciting time.

"We've also made our first gearbox in many years, and this is Managing Technical Partner and Team Principal Adrian Newey's first Aston Martin F1 car, so there's plenty for us to learn. That's what the Shakedown and pre-season testing in Bahrain are for.

"We'll now take what we’ve learned and keep developing the AMR26 ahead of Bahrain testing."

The AMR26 will return to the track on 11 February in pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit, after the team's Season Launch on 9 February.