The planned update for Aston Martin in Formula 1 for the Hungarian Grand Prix has been a “great effort” for the team, according to track director Mike Krack, who hopes to have both cars ready on time with the new parts.
The Silverstone team has started 2026 with difficulties, the only highlight being the point achieved by Fernando Alonso in Monaco, while Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez received time penalties that prevented them from finishing in the top ten.
In particular, the interface between the Honda engine and the chassis has been a major hindrance. Vibration issues and battery failures have led the team to concentrate its resources on solving these problems, choosing not to seek performance improvements until reliability issues were under control.
This decision has caused a delay in aerodynamic modifications until the last race before the summer, resulting in them being almost a second per lap behind Cadillac in qualifying.
When asked if Aston Martin would have enough parts to equip both cars for Hungary, Krack assured that this was the “million-dollar question” – although he trusts that the team’s production staff can deliver the required parts, he is not so sure about having enough spares. “Everyone is working at full capacity to obtain the parts and prepare the cars. It is a great effort to do it this way,” said Krack.
He also indicated that if some parts were not ready in time, the updates did not depend on a single part, and that they had alternative plans to move forward regardless. “We have to be cautious with expectations. We are quite far from the front, but also from the middle of the group. We have to make sure the car is running in Hungary,” he added.
Most important for everyone on the team is being able to compete again, as they have spent the season practically at the bottom of the standings, and they will be cautious in expecting significant gains with the new aerodynamic parts.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
