Aston Martin seems to have finally found its way up after a difficult start to the F1 season. The so-called ‘B-spec’ of the AMR26, which made its debut during the Hungarian GP, immediately brought significant improvements. According to Juan Pablo Montoya, the influence of technical chief Adrian Newey became especially visible in Budapest.
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Montoya believes that Aston Martin’s poor performance before Hungary cannot be fully attributed to Newey. When the Brit arrived at the team, important design choices for the AMR26 had already been made. “Aston Martin has climbed from last place in the overall standings to a competitive position, a clear sign that Newey’s influence is starting to take effect,” Montoya responded in an analysis for a betting platform.
‘Aston Martin is ahead of Williams, Haas, and Alpine’
“In Budapest, we saw Newey’s first, real car,” he noted. “When he started working, many things had already been decided. That included design choices he did not agree with. So he had to work from what was already established.” The Colombian sees the progress in Hungary as an important benchmark for the influence of the former top designer of Red Bull. Aston Martin clearly managed to get closer to the midfield with the updated car. Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finished pointlessly in P13 and P14, but left Williams and Haas behind.
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According to Montoya, this proves that the gap to the competition has become significantly smaller. “Aston Martin was previously four seconds behind the leaders, but now it is ahead of Williams, Haas, and Alpine. Newey’s first Aston Martin is already better than most other cars.” The seven-time race winner is also aware that more upgrades are on the horizon. For example, engine supplier Honda is introducing important upgrades ahead of the Dutch GP at Zandvoort. “That is another step forward,” Montoya assured.
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Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
