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Aston Martin is preparing to unveil one of Formula 1's most anticipated cars tonight—the AMR26, the first machine to bear the fingerprints of legendary designer Adrian Newey since his departure from Red Bull. The historic livery reveal takes place this evening in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, marking a watershed moment for the Silverstone outfit as it embarks on an exclusive partnership with Honda and a new technical era under 2026's groundbreaking regulations.
The AMR26 launch event begins at 19:00 GMT (14:00 EST / 11:00 PST) on Monday, February 9 at Ithra, a cultural center in Dhahran. For those keen to catch behind-the-scenes content, the Aston Martin Aramco TikTok channel goes live at 18:15 GMT with a 45-minute buildup hosted by Jolie Sharpe before the main event. The car will also be broadcast across Sky Sports F1 and the team's official social media channels.
The evening promises to be theatrical and technically engaging. Drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will narrate the reveal, joined by actress Kaya Scodelario, while executive chairman Lawrence Stroll and Newey himself will provide technical insights. Music from The World of Hans Zimmer, performed by cellist Jodok Cello, will soundtrack the proceedings, underlining Aston Martin's commitment to making this a spectacle befitting the team's championship aspirations.
The AMR26 isn't entirely new—it made its track debut at Barcelona's pre-season shakedown at the end of January in all-black livery. Despite arriving late to testing and completing just 65 laps compared to Mercedes' 502, the car immediately captured attention. Mercedes driver George Russell labeled it "the most intriguing design so far," citing its extreme suspension mounting points and tightly packed sidepods as innovative features. Design analyst Craig Scarborough highlighted the car's "beautifully-sculpted" lines from front to rear.
Newey's task has been arduous. Having joined Aston Martin in March 2025—three months after aerodynamic development began—his team started wind tunnel work a full four months behind rivals. Yet Newey has framed this constraint as opportunity, focusing on fundamentals rather than quick fixes. "We've tried to do the opposite," he explained, "putting our effort into those, knowing that some of the appendages...will hopefully have development potential" throughout the season.
The AMR26 marks Aston Martin's transition to exclusive Honda power, ending the team's relationship with Mercedes engines. This partnership represents Honda's return to Formula 1 as a full manufacturer from 2026 onward, powering the RA626H hybrid unit—the first Japanese engine in a Silverstone F1 program since Jordan's EJ12 in 2002.
Following tonight's reveal, Aston Martin will have just two days to prepare before pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit from February 11-13. A second testing block runs February 18-20 before the championship opener in Melbourne on March 8. The compressed timeline underscores the importance of tonight's livery reveal—from here, the focus shifts entirely to extracting performance from Newey's creation.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.