Aston Martin are relieved they were able to unveil the AMR26 during the test days in Barcelona. The clock had struck on Thursday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya a full five hours before the Aston Martin car was seen on track, but for team boss Mike Krack it was, above all, an ‘emotional moment’: ‘It was a tribute to the hard work everyone has put in.’
It was the moment everyone had been waiting for on Thursday in Barcelona: the debut of the AMR26. Fans had been eagerly anticipating the instant the first Aston Martin car designed by Adrian Newey would roll out, but patience was tested. Only in the very last hour of the test day did Lance Stroll complete the opening laps in the brand-new challenger. After just five laps the Canadian had unfortunately already come to a halt. Still, Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack is above all ‘proud and happy’ about this historic moment for his team.
‘Emotional moment’
“As always when you have a new car, it’s an emotional and highly exciting moment,” Krack tells F1, looking back on the moment the AMR26 left the garage. “There’s been a lot of hard work over the past days. There’s still a lot to do, but I think we can take a breather now and be glad we were able to present the car. It was genuinely emotional; a nice moment for the team and a tribute to the hard work everyone has done. F1 is ruthless, you always have to look forward and there’s still a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we’re looking forward to that.”
Aston Martin faces several major changes in 2026. The team will not only line up the first car designed by Newey, it is also officially starting its collaboration with engine supplier Honda. “F1 doesn’t wait for you, so you have to be ready,” Krack said. “We were a bit late this time, but we made this test, so I think we can be proud and pleased with that achievement.”
First laps in the AMR26
Lance Stroll had the honour on Thursday of putting the first laps in the AMR26. Although his stint was short – after five laps the Canadian was already stopped – the new car still felt good, according to the driver. “It was nice to be back in the car after a few weeks. Everyone did a great job getting the car ready. It was a long day (on Thursday, ed.) for all the mechanics and everyone in the team, who worked incredibly hard to get the car ready. At the end of the day we were able to do a few laps and that felt good. A lot of hours have gone into this machine, so it was great to climb back behind the wheel and get used to the new Honda engine and these new cars. It’s exciting,” Stroll concluded.
