Aston Martin is betting on a major update to the AMR26 to try and change its trajectory in the Formula 1 season. The package, which will be used this weekend at the Hungarian GP, has generated rumors that almost the entire car has been redesigned before the Budapest race.
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Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac driver, revealed he had heard speculation about the extent of the changes and admitted concern about a possible performance leap from the rival: “Yes, I think there are a lot of rumors,” he said. “Most say it’s a big step for them, but we’ll see when the car hits the track.”
The Finn also commented on one of the rumors circulating behind the scenes in Formula 1: “One rumor I heard is that the only thing that is the same as the current car is the front suspension; everything else is new [apparently], so we’ll see,” he stated.
Aston Martin confirmed that the update will be significant. According to the team’s trackside boss, Mike Krack, the package includes important aerodynamic changes and weight reduction. Furthermore, reports indicate that the modifications could yield up to two seconds per lap, a result that would put the AMR26 back on par with — or even ahead of — Cadillac’s MAC-26.
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While the British team held back on development, Cadillac constantly updated its car and maintained an advantage over the AMR26 for most of the year. At the season opener in Melbourne, Fernando Alonso was seven tenths faster than Sergio Pérez in qualifying, but the situation changed in subsequent rounds.
At the Belgian GP, both Aston Martins were at the back of the grid, more than two seconds behind the Cadillacs. The Belgian circuit, however, exposed the limitations of the Honda power unit, a problem that may have less impact at the Hungaroring.
With Cadillac occupying the last position in the championship, without points, Bottas recognizes that an Aston Martin breakthrough could alter the balance of the competition: “I’m quite curious about it, but at the same time, a bit scared in a way, because if they take a big step, we’ll fall behind. But in the end, we need to focus on our work; we shouldn’t waste our energy on that.”
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