Aston Martin sets Baku as the end point for AMR26 development

Aston Martin plans to complete its weight-reduction programme at Baku and then freeze the AMR26 for the rest of the season. After the major aerodynamic package introduced around the summer break and the Zandvoort revisions, Enrico Cardile does not expect further aero upgrades unless a 2027 component is useful for on-track correlation.

The choice acknowledges that the 2026 recovery has not yet made Aston Martin a regular points contender. Since the major package arrived, the team has escaped Q1 in Grand Prix qualifying only once, with Fernando Alonso in Hungary, even if long-run behaviour has looked better at times.

Madrid and Baku therefore become validation weekends as much as races. For Alonso and Lance Stroll, it also means no major technical rescue package is expected through the long final third of the season.