After months of frustration and disappointment, Aston Martin F1 finally had something to celebrate at the Hungarian Grand Prix—and team owner Lawrence Stroll was quick to share a heartfelt message with his squad.
The Silverstone-based team has been stuck at the back of the grid for most of the season, even struggling to keep pace with newcomer Cadillac in what many have called an embarrassing start to the Adrian Newey era. The legendary designer joined Aston Martin as chief technical officer with a massive task ahead: building the team’s 2026 challenger under all-new rules.
But from the very first test in pre-season, it was clear Newey’s current chassis wasn’t ready to fight even the slowest cars on track. Issues with Honda’s new power unit only made things worse.
Thankfully for everyone at Aston Martin, the first major upgrade package of the year finally showed they’re moving in the right direction.
Ahead of the summer break, Lawrence Stroll’s crew brought 16 upgrades to the Hungaroring. After a tough Friday for his son Lance, the new parts finally delivered on Saturday—Fernando Alonso put an Aston Martin into Q1 for the first time this season, starting 17th on Sunday.
During the pre-race gridwalk, Sky F1’s Martin Brundle handed the mic to Stroll. The billionaire didn’t hold back his pride.
“We’ve made a very big step forward, one of many to come,” Stroll said. He thanked “all the boys and the girls at the factory” for their hard work, calling the weekend “a good start.”
Lance Stroll went on to finish 13th in the race—his best result of the new regulations era and one spot ahead of his two-time champion teammate Alonso.
With the annual summer shutdown now underway, the team will return for the Dutch GP at the end of next month. And reports say Honda is expected to bring its own upgrade that could be a game-changer for Aston Martin.
Can this breakthrough weekend be the turning point the team has been waiting for?
