Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 car sparks instant obsession: "You're a wizard, Newey"

F1 fans have latched onto the distinct design of Aston Martin's 2026 challenger - the first car entirely managed by Adrian Newey as he takes over the Silverstone outfit this year. 

Newey's jump from Red Bull to Aston Martin was always going to be viewed under intense scrutiny, but early reports from Barcelona hint at a successful week for the team. Of course, with 12 constructors' championships and 13 drivers' championships under his belt, the expectations are high for this year's racing green machinery. 

Following its time on track, photos of the car flooded social media as Aston Martin showed its hand for the first time. While it will likely change as the season begins - paired with the usual testing caveats - the rear of the car gained plenty of attention.

In particular, one of the rear push-rod suspension arms is mounted unusually high on the support of the rear wing. It also boasts a front wing design that we're yet to see elsewhere, as well as underbite sidepods - something we saw on his incredibly successful RB19.

The online reaction has been intense, with commenters once again bowing to Newey's proven talent.

“I have no idea what's happening there but it looks good," one wrote, while another added: "You're a wizard, Newey."

Whether the car will be genuinely fast is another question that will only be answered when the team runs full programmes with sandbags removed.

"Yeah, it felt good. Nice to be back in the car after a few weeks off. Yeah, I mean, everyone did a good job at getting the car ready today. It was a long day for all the mechanics and everyone on the team pushing flat out to get the car ready," driver Lance Stroll said after Thursday's testing. "We got a few laps in at the end of the day and it was feeling good."

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin

Photo by: Aston Martin Racing

With its new Honda power unit, chief trackside officer Mike Krack is confident after the car's first test.

"It was a good start. A few smiles between ourselves and them. And it's our goal, obviously, to use this time now to integrate as much as we can, to learn how to work together [with Honda], but I'm very confident. 

"They are racers, they are very open, you can challenge them. It's really nice and I'm looking forward to continuing the relationship."

Testing for the team continues today, but for Newey's first real benchmarks, these are yet to be established by those outside of the British outfit.