The Silverstone-based team confirmed the AMR26 will not appear until the final two days of the five-day test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, despite teams being allowed to run on three days between Monday and Friday.
In a brief statement, Aston Martin said: “The AMR26 will be in Barcelona later this week for its shakedown. Our intention is to run Thursday and Friday.”
That plan means the team will complete just two days, falling short of the allocation available.
An update on Barcelona Shakedown. pic.twitter.com/dm9IWh2d32
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) January 26, 2026
No official explanation has been given for the late arrival, though recent speculation online has linked the team to weight and engine issues.
Aston Martin’s absence from the early part of the test contrasts with most of the field. Mercedes, Audi, Alpine, Cadillac, Racing Bulls, Haas and Red Bull all ran on Monday, beginning the process of gathering mileage with their new-for-2026 cars and power units.
Ferrari and McLaren also skipped the opening day but are expected to begin their programs on Tuesday, with McLaren potentially pushing back its start to Wednesday.
Williams is the only team set to miss the Barcelona shakedown entirely after announcing last week that it would not attend the test due to delays in building its FW48.
The AMR26 is the first Aston Martin overseen by Adrian Newey as managing technical partner and team principal, and the first car under the team’s new works partnership with Honda.
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