Alonso reveals Aston Martin is already testing elements for 2027

Fernando Alonso has revealed that Aston Martin is already experimenting with elements geared towards 2027, as the AMR26 heads into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on what is expected to be difficult ground.

The more than six kilometres of Baku Boulevard, with the risks inherent to a street circuit and heavy braking after long straights, do not appear favourable for the AMR26. Alonso acknowledges that his car will suffer there, even if Aston Martin has a long list of tasks to complete at this street circuit.

Free practice, exceptionally scheduled for Thursday, should provide the first indications. The car arrives lighter and with aerodynamic refinements, but the challenge remains complex.

“It is not our best circuit,” Alonso said, anticipating a difficult race, like Las Vegas, to score points and make it through Q1. At the Baku track, the more than two kilometres of straight line are expected to expose the Honda engine, caught between limited combustion potential and a lack of energy in deployment.

Getting through Q1 already appears to be a major challenge. Aston Martin believes it still has much work to do: part of it is specific to Baku, while other tasks concern the upcoming races and even the following year.

The expected difficulties in Azerbaijan, in Las Vegas and those seen at Monza do not, however, cloud Aston Martin’s outlook. While the AMR26 is due to remain the final version until the last race, the team still has work to undertake and already has elements linked to 2027.

Aston Martin cannot test major developments for the future AMR27, but certain details are already being taken into account. Enrico Cardile has also highlighted this factor. An exception in development could arise if a discovery were worth trying on the current car for correlation purposes.

Cardile added that this car is the starting point for the 2027 one and that the team has good feelings about the chassis. From that perspective, Aston Martin considers that it has an advantage with the chassis, while the Honda engine remains the area that could make the difference, but also the one raising questions.

Regarding the ADUO, Aston Martin would already appear to be working, with Alonso or Stroll, to secure further changes. In this matter, those changes could not be radical, but they could concern homologations, development hours or budgets.

Fernando Alonso’s presence behind the wheel remains another unknown. He has nevertheless reaffirmed his commitment: “I will remain with this team, whether behind the wheel or not racing. F1 is my life, and so is motorsport.” In this context, his presence within the team is presented as an additional reason for belief.