Colapinto: Aston Martin’s Upgraded AMR26 ‘A Lot Quicker’

Key Takeaways

Colapinto’s warning on Aston Martin’s pace

Franco Colapinto says Aston Martin’s revised AMR26 has become noticeably faster than his Alpine through the corners, even though it remains slower on the straights. Speaking after the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he spent much of the race chasing down the green cars, Colapinto was direct about what he saw on track: Aston’s cornering speed had jumped, while its straight-line deficit was still costing it lap time on the Hungaroring’s long back stretch.

“They look really strong in the corners,” Colapinto said. “On the straights they are really slow and they are losing a lot of lap time, but in the corners they are definitely a lot quicker than us.” The comment matters because Colapinto’s Alpine was directly behind Aston Martin’s pair for much of the afternoon, giving him a close view of exactly where the upgraded car was gaining and losing time.

For a team that started 2026 near the back, that kind of praise from a rival driver is a meaningful signal. Colapinto races for Alpine, a squad that has itself been fighting for midfield positions, which makes his read on Aston Martin’s step forward a useful outside marker rather than an in-house assessment.

The Hungaroring result that backed up the warning

Aston Martin’s Hungarian Grand Prix result showed genuine progress, with Fernando Alonso reaching Q2 for the first time in a non-sprint qualifying session in 2026. Alonso qualified and finished 14th, while team-mate Lance Stroll was 13th on the grid and 13th at the flag. Colapinto, starting 13th himself, ended the race in 15th.

The margin between the cars was tight. Aston Martin’s drivers finished just 10 seconds behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly at the chequered flag, comfortably ahead of Colapinto in the process. For a car that had spent most of the season struggling to get out of Q1, closing to within 10 seconds of a points-chasing Alpine over a full grand prix distance is a tangible marker of where the new upgrade package has moved the AMR26.

Colapinto himself was not satisfied with his own afternoon. “Not very happy, of course,” he said. “I think it was a really tricky afternoon. In general, we lacked a lot of pace.” He added that after the opening laps he began to struggle with the car, a frustration that sharpens the contrast with the visible step Aston Martin has made.

Monaco showed how far Aston Martin had to climb

Aston Martin’s Monaco Grand Prix qualifying result was 21st and 22nd on the grid, among the worst of any team on the 2026 grid at that stage of the season. The team salvaged a point on race day at the street circuit, a result that owed more to circumstance than pace, given how far off the front the AMR26 had qualified.

That gap is the backdrop against which the Hungarian Grand Prix step should be read. Aston Martin spent much of the first half of 2026 refraining from bringing updates, instead concentrating its resources on a single, larger package that was only introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Going from 21st and 22nd on the grid in Monaco to a driver reaching Q2 and finishing within 10 seconds of a points contender inside a few race weekends is the kind of swing that explains why a rival driver like Colapinto was moved to comment publicly.

Why the AMR26 has struggled under F1’s new rules

Aston Martin’s early-season struggles trace back to Formula 1’s new technical era, which brought a 53/47 split between combustion and electrical power and a much greater emphasis on energy management. The Adrian Newey-designed AMR26 has had to work with a Honda power unit built for this new formula by an overhauled Honda F1 squad, and that unit has been both underpowered and unreliable through the year.

The combination of an unproven Honda power unit and a chassis still finding its footing under the new regulations left Aston Martin near the back of the field for long stretches, culminating in the Monaco qualifying result. The Hungarian Grand Prix upgrade addressed the chassis side of that equation, improving cornering performance without yet resolving the straight-line deficit Colapinto identified. That deficit remains tied directly to the power unit rather than the aerodynamic package.

What comes next at Zandvoort

Aston Martin’s next opportunity to close the gap arrives at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, where Honda is set to introduce a substantial power unit upgrade. The update is expected to target the AMR26’s top-speed weakness specifically, the same issue Colapinto flagged when he said the Aston Martin cars were “really slow” on the straights relative to their cornering pace.

Colapinto himself pointed to Zandvoort as the next marker. “It shows that we can make a big step, and hopefully with our upgrades in Zandvoort comes a big step,” he said, referring to Alpine’s own development plans rather than Aston Martin’s. If Honda’s engine upgrade delivers the top-speed gains it is designed for, Aston Martin’s combination of improved cornering and closed straight-line deficit could turn the Hungarian Grand Prix step into a sustained shift in the midfield order — though, with the Dutch Grand Prix still to come, any such outcome remains to be seen on track.

For now, fans following Aston Martin‘s recovery and Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll‘s progress through this stretch of the season can browse full-size 1:1 display helmets from the 2026 grid, including pieces tied to this year’s Aston Martin and Alpine liveries.

FAQ

Q: What did Franco Colapinto say about Aston Martin’s upgraded car?
Franco Colapinto said Aston Martin’s AMR26 has become ‘a lot quicker’ than his Alpine through the corners, while still being slower on the straights. He made the comment after racing closely with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Q: How did Aston Martin perform at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix?
Fernando Alonso finished 14th after reaching Q2 for the first time in a non-sprint session in 2026, and Lance Stroll finished 13th. Both drivers finished just 10 seconds behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, ahead of Colapinto in 15th.

Q: Why did Aston Martin struggle earlier in the 2026 season?
Aston Martin struggled because of an underpowered and unreliable Honda power unit built for F1’s new 53/47 combustion/electrical rules, combined with a chassis that had not yet received its main upgrade package. That struggle was visible at the Monaco Grand Prix, where the team qualified 21st and 22nd.

Q: What upgrade is Aston Martin bringing to the Dutch Grand Prix?
Honda is introducing a substantial power unit upgrade at Zandvoort aimed at improving the AMR26’s straight-line speed, which has lagged behind its cornering performance. The upgrade has not yet been raced, so its on-track impact remains to be confirmed.

Q: Where can I find a display helmet from the 2026 F1 season?
123Helmets.com carries full-size 1:1 display and collector helmets tied to current F1 drivers and teams. Browse the shop to see pieces connected to the 2026 season.

Browse F1 Helmet Collection

Display and collector replicas only. Not certified for protective use. Full-size 1:1 scale.