Aston Martin Rushes Spare Parts to Hungary to Put Both AMR26s on Upgrade for Qualifying

Aston Martin races the clock after Stroll suspension failure

Aston Martin is flying spare parts to the Hungarian Grand Prix in an effort to ensure Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso can both run the heavily upgraded AMR26 in qualifying.

The team could not repair the car in time for FP2 because it did not have enough spare parts at the circuit. Aston Martin had already committed its available resources to introducing the new package before the summer break, leaving Stroll sidelined while Alonso continued to evaluate the upgrade.

“That’s the reason why he went out and he continued in the second session, so we were safe on that,” de la Rosa said. “However, it meant that because of the lack of spares, we couldn’t repair the car on time with Lance.”

He added that the replacement effort would require a combination of parts already at the circuit and others being flown from Aston Martin’s Silverstone base. Stroll is expected to return on Saturday, but the lost running has cost him valuable time adapting to a car with a different driving characteristic.

Alonso sees a step toward the midfield

Despite the setback, Alonso described the upgrade as encouraging. He said the car “felt good” and that its performance figures matched expectations, offering confidence in Aston Martin’s development direction.

The two-time champion believes the team should now be fighting closer to midfield rivals, including Alex Albon’s Williams, with a realistic chance of becoming a Q2 threat. Alonso said Aston Martin was matching the top of the midfield through the corners, although he acknowledged that further progress was still needed on both the chassis and engine sides.

That assessment aligns with the team’s broader recovery effort outlined in Aston Martin’s AMR26 Hungary upgrade marks the start of its long-term recovery.

Adrian Newey called the provisional results promising, but vibrations remained a minor complication. Alonso reported that the issue was most noticeable on the main straight in FP1 and had largely been addressed by FP2. De la Rosa said Honda was managing the remaining vibrations and that they were not the same type experienced earlier in the season.

Alonso’s fastest FP2 lap was deleted for track limits, but it would have placed him 17th and ahead of cars he had trailed by more than two seconds at Spa. The priority now is clear: deliver the missing parts and give both Aston Martins a full qualifying test of the upgrade.