2026 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team

[venkyhere]

Why didn't Gasly get a penalty for speeding in the pitlane over the previous 8 years he's raced at Monaco? The rule didn't change, the way they measure it didn't change...His approach this year did change though. Between FPs, Qualifying and the race, he must use the pitlane limiter 20 times a year @ Monaco.....If a guy has done something 20 times a year for 8 years and never gotten it wrong now gets it wrong only during the race twice ...something he's doing changed.

You can say what you want about how it's measured but he knew the rule going in and has known it for now 9 years! He better learn it cause it will be the same next year.

As I said it has nothing to do with the rules! Nor with Gasly doing anything wrong.
He abided by the rules and still got penalized.

"something he's doing changed." - or not. More likely the FIA set up the speed measurement even crappier than usual. Or the extra pits exposed its inadequacy more.

ok, so what is the rule?

Is it that you can't go faster than 60KPH in the pitlane? or is it ? in the pit lane you can't go from point A to point B in less than X time ?

The way I understand it...it is...That you can't go faster than 60KPH in the pitlane as measure from point A to point B in less than X time.

what if the calibrated X time @ exact 60kph, is not via a straight path (erroneously) , whilst a straight path @ exact 60kph consumes X-delta(x) duration ? Is there a possibility that half the drivers were not straight enough and 'escaped' the wrong calibration, whilst half of them, optimized their driving lines to be straight and fell prey to the wrong calibration ?

As a spectator watching on TV, how can any of us armchair experts definitively claim one (wrong calibration of speed by the team/late pitlane button press by driver) v/s the other (wrong calibration of the measuring apparatus) scenario ? We simply don't know. What we know, is that the driver is penalized and FIA isn't held accountable , whether it's one or the other.

[mzso]

what if the calibrated X time @ exact 60kph, is not via a straight path (erroneously) , whilst a straight path @ exact 60kph consumes X-delta(x) duration ? Is there a possibility that half the drivers were not straight enough and 'escaped' the wrong calibration, whilst half of them, optimized their driving lines to be straight and fell prey to the wrong calibration ?

More like they were too straight... The FIA painte pretty curves that are less practicual to use.

As a spectator watching on TV, how can any of us armchair experts definitively claim one (wrong calibration of speed by the team/late pitlane button press by driver) v/s the other (wrong calibration of the measuring apparatus) scenario ? We simply don't know. What we know, is that the driver is penalized and FIA isn't held accountable , whether it's one or the other.

The number of violations registered is damning evidence on the FIA's measurements.

[mzso]

ok, so what is the rule?

That they can't go above 60 in the pitlane. That's simple enough. The rules are not about sensors or about driving in a way that suits defective measurement methods.
Hopefully Alpine will have enough evidence, via GPS and/or the speedometer in the car.

[diffuser]

ok, so what is the rule?

That they can't go above 60 in the pitlane. That's simple enough. The rules are not about sensors or about driving in a way that suits defective measurement methods.
Hopefully Alpine will have enough evidence, via GPS and/or the speedometer in the car.

You never know with these guys but the Alpine's speedometer has nothing to do with the regulation. The question always comes down to is 60 kph the dumb'd rule for the masses while the actual rule is how it is measure?

If you take the 16:1 CR rule. For the first half of the year everyone new that Merc was running higher that 16:1 CR when the ICE was at operating temperature. Everyone knew the rule was 16:1 but it is how it is measured that counts.

[Rodak]

If the FIA measure pit speed by time over distance then the rule actually says the average speed must be less than 60 kph, not that the instantaneous speed be less than 60 kph.....

[NAPI10]

I'll only believe it when I see it. Their recent history with updates has never been in their favor; on the contrary, I'd venture to say it could get even worse than it is now. Yes, I believe it could still get worse.

What difference would it make it we believed it before we saw it ?

U start the weekend with loads of hope, then gets disappointed.Weekend goes for the toss

[V10FURY]

Newey and team info:

https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian-ne ... artin-plan

Newey revealed after Aston Martin arrived late to January’s pre-season shakedown in Barcelona that the design and development of the AMR26 car had been heavily compromised.

He estimated that the team was “on the back foot by about four months” compared to its rivals, admitting “the car only came together at the last minute.”

Speaking in Monaco last weekend, he went on to confirm that Aston Martin’s poor preparation for F1 2026 has led to a rethink, allowing the team to “do our research much more carefully” going forward.

Asked how he is helping to motivate drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, Newey replied: “It’s a long, hard slog for them obviously.

“We took the decision after Melbourne that, rather than doing piecemeal updates, we’d take our time to put systems in place and do our research much more carefully.“Everything was such a rush to get the car out for Melbourne, we said: ‘OK, we’ll endure the short-term pain and hopefully make a decent step when we make it.'”

PlanetF1.com understands that Newey is expected to attend other events this season following his comeback in Monaco.

His schedule is understood to be similar to that of his immediate predecessor, Andy Cowell, who attended between 10 and 14 races per season.

Rather than being a near-constant presence in the paddock like other team bosses, it is believed that Newey chooses the races he attends based on where he feels he can bring most value to the team.

Newey did not undertake further media duties in Monte Carlo last weekend with Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de La Rosa instead appearing in Friday’s team representatives’ press conference.

De la Rosa also carried out media engagements in the aftermath of Sunday’s race after Mike Krack, the former Aston Martin team boss who now acts as chief trackside officer, appeared before the press on Thursday.

Newey previously told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets in Australia that he has found his new responsibilities as team principal “a little bit” distracting from his core work on car design and development.



I am hoping that the team can bring some kind of upgraded B spec car that pushes them forward, but I am not holding my breath at this point either.

[hollus]

Moving on from PitGate. Send it to the race thread. It is off topic here (me myself being guilty )

[zoroastar]

I'll only believe it when I see it. Their recent history with updates has never been in their favor; on the contrary, I'd venture to say it could get even worse than it is now. Yes, I believe it could still get worse.

thats the best frame of mind to have haha. hope for the best but expect the worst. the difference now, from the last 3 years, is that the team is under new management, technically speaking. one day youll probably be pleasantly surprised.

[zoroastar]

When asked how he measures his own performance this year when his car is so badly off the pace, Alonso replied: "I don't measure anything, I'm the best."

[Petebass]

What is clear is that this car was flawed from the very beginning in every respect.

The lack of information—or rather, the drip-fed updates they've provided—has basically been, in chronological order: massive vibrations, controllable vibrations, excessive car weight, vibrations under control, lack of power, suboptimal power delivery, a faulty gearbox, an unoptimized chassis and overall package, inadequate front suspension, and a deficient chassis and overall package...

I believe that even before testing they must have already known about most of these issues, along with some others they discovered later. But by then it was too late, so they presented what they had and, in my opinion, started working on a completely new car even before Australia. Parts take weeks or months to arrive, and if they had decided to abandon the car in Australia, some of the later components already in production would have appeared in the following Grands Prix. However, nothing arrived.

In short, I wouldn't be surprised if, in the coming weeks, we hear that AM has passed a new crash test with a new chassis and that we end up seeing a completely different car.

That said, let's be realistic: if they reduce the car's weight, improve the suspension, aerodynamic downforce, mechanical grip, gearbox, engine power and efficiency, etc., could they compete with Alpine? Perhaps by the end of the year they could be ahead of the midfield pack? There are too many "ifs." Miracles do not exist in F1.

We'll see.

[FW17]

I see them being disqualified from the championship this year for breaching the cost cap.

[FNTC]

From Andrew Benson: https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/arti ... gyx07dg84o

Honda was classed as the worst engine, as expected, but a source close to the FIA said they had been categorised in the bracket of 8-10% behind the most powerful.

That means they miss out on the extra chunk of funding that had been made available to any manufacturer classed as more than 10% behind, which was as much as $19m (£14m).

[diffuser]

I see them being disqualified from the championship this year for breaching the cost cap.

That's funny, the team with no updates for the the first 6 months of the season breaches the cost cap.

[FW17]

I see them being disqualified from the championship this year for breaching the cost cap.

That's funny, the team with no updates for the the first 6 months of the season breaches the cost cap.

They need not bring anything, just keep testing.

they get 5-6 runs of wind tunnel a day and 33 item on cfd a day. Both are vastly under used. 5 to 6 runs a day (20 min a run) would be about 12 hrs of testing a week. This in comparison to 2015 when wind tunnel testing time was restricted (by more than half of 2014 season) was 25 hrs a week.

Aston if they want to breach, can do a lot in the wind tunnel.

Gear box, suspension, all seems to need work, and money allocation can go a long way

They could also onboard staff from other teams with some generous signing bonuses