Aston Martin’s new 2026 Formula 1 car, the AMR26, appeared in its first on-track run at the Barcelona shakedown in plain black instead of its usual race colours because the team simply didn’t have enough time to paint it before the test. The team had rushed to get the car ready for the shakedown, and delays meant they used the unpainted version for the brief running there.
Only two of the three permitted test days were used by Aston Martin at Barcelona, with Lance Stroll completing very few laps early on due to issues, while Fernando Alonso managed a more productive session later.
Adrian Newey, the team’s new managing technical partner who oversaw the car’s design, explained that preparing the AMR26 on a tight schedule left no time for painting before the shakedown, so they focused on getting it on track instead.