Aston Martin hope Hungary upgrade puts them 'back in the game'

BUDAPEST, July 23 : Struggling Aston Martin hope a new chassis puts them 'back in the game' at the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, chief trackside officer Mike Krack said on Thursday while also trying to manage expectations.

Honda-powered Aston are 10th of 11 teams in the Formula One constructors' standings with one point from 10 rounds so far.

The team that finished fifth in 2023 and 2024, and seventh last year, have been woefully uncompetitive in the first year of their partnership with Honda and despite having top F1 designer and serial title-winner Adrian Newey at the helm.

The cars brought to Hungary have a new chassis with significant aerodynamic upgrades and weight reduction. The gearbox remains unchanged and a more powerful Honda engine will come for the following Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort at the end of August.

"The reason why we do this is to go racing," Krack told reporters at the Hungaroring. "We have not been racing over the last events and this is what we need to return to.

"Where we race in a big, competitive field we will see. This I can really not predict, but the key question is that we are back in the game, because we were not before."

SEVERAL SECONDS OFF THE PACE

Aston Martin's sole point, from double world champion Fernando Alonso, came in Monaco after Cadillac's Sergio Perez was demoted from 10th - promoting the Spaniard from 11th on the road at the finish.

At the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, Alonso was the last runner two laps behind Mercedes' winner Kimi Antonelli, whose time in qualifying was more than four seconds faster than either the Spaniard or teammate Lance Stroll.

Neither Aston Martin driver has got past the first phase of qualifying so far in 2026.

Krack said Alonso and Canadian Stroll,