Aston Martin AMR26 Sparks Rare Internal Praise Ahead of F1 2026

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team has received an unusually public internal endorsement after a senior factory employee openly praised the AMR26, the team’s 2026 Formula 1 car, following its first on-track appearance during private testing in Barcelona earlier this week.

The remarks came from Neil Zambardi-Christie, a long-serving Formula 1 professional working within Aston Martin’s factory operation, who shared his assessment publicly on LinkedIn. Public expressions of enthusiasm from team employees are rare in Formula 1, particularly during the early phase of a new regulatory cycle, making the comments notable across the paddock.

“The Aston Martin AMR26 – my 25th F1 car, but my first Adrian Newey car,” Zambardi-Christie wrote.

“There have been some great cars over the years (and some shocking ones), but this one is of a whole other level.”

The AMR26 is the first Formula 1 car designed under the technical leadership of Adrian Newey since his arrival from Red Bull Racing in May last year. Newey joined Aston Martin as managing technical partner after a 19-year tenure at Red Bull, with a clear mandate to lead the team’s response to the 2026 regulations, widely regarded as the most significant technical overhaul in Formula 1 history.

“The design and attention to detail are incredible,” Zambardi-Christie added.

“But what is even more impressive is the way the entire team has risen to the challenges of design and planning.”

Development of the AMR26 was not without difficulty, with the project encountering delays before the car finally completed its first laps during the final hour of the fourth day of a five-day private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Despite the late debut, the car immediately attracted attention within the paddock due to several unconventional solutions aligned with Newey’s established design philosophy under new aerodynamic and power unit constraints.

Newey’s influence within the organisation expanded further in November, when he also assumed the role of team principal, placing him at the centre of both technical direction and operational leadership. That dual responsibility has shaped the AMR26 programme, requiring close integration between design concept, long-term planning, and execution under an entirely new ruleset.

With the 2026 regulations set to redefine Formula 1’s competitive landscape, early internal confidence in the AMR26 carries strategic significance. If the positive assessments from within Aston Martin are reflected in objective performance data as testing continues, the Silverstone-based team could position itself as a serious contender in Formula 1’s next technical era.