First F1 2026 fire-up shared as Aston Martin AMR26 comes to life
Aston Martin has big plans for the future under Lawrence Stroll
Aston Martin has shared that the team fired up its 2026 challenger, the AMR26, ahead of its winter shutdown at Silverstone.
The team shared a clip of its own and Honda’s engineers completing the fire-up, an important stage in car development as existing parts are brought together, followed by a round of applause from within its factory.
Aston Martin shares video of F1 2026 fire-up
The fire-up is a crucial milestone in development of a new car, with chassis and engine parts being put together as one to ensure the package works together for the first time.
Aston Martin has been working with Honda on an exclusive power unit deal ahead of the 2026 season, with the Japanese manufacturer having shared its own video of how its 2026 power unit shortly after the season ended.
It is the first fire-up of a 2026 car to be publicly shared on social media, with teams working at pace to make sure their cars are ready in time for the first pre-season test, taking place behind closed doors in Barcelona from January 26th.
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Aston Martin will officially launch the AMR26 on 9th February, with the team set to potentially run a camouflage or plain livery for the first five-day test in Barcelona.
Speaking at the end of the season, Fernando Alonso explained that the big players to have arrived at Aston Martin in recent years, along with the factory power unit deal in place with Honda, means he is looking ahead to Formula 1’s new era with positivity.
“I’m optimistic, because it’s a reset of things. You know, everyone has the chance to do a better job than the others,” he told media including PlanetF1.com in Abu Dhabi.
“We start from scratch, so that’s one thing that offers always hope. We have our new facilities completed now, we have our own wind tunnel.
“We have Honda as engine supplier – and only for us. Aramco, Adrian Newey… so we have some good things to be optimistic [about], but this is a very competitive sport, and everyone is doing a very good job. So we’ll see.
“I’m relaxed. You know, it’s a long championship ahead. I think a lot of things will happen in the first three or four months of the year, when you discover the cars and which direction and philosophy everyone took, you learn a lot of things in the first two or three races.
“So, you know, I think we have the right people and the right facilities and environment to have a good season. So it’s up to us.”
Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher
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