Aston Martin credits successful upgrade package for mid-season performance recovery

Aston Martin Team Representative Pedro de la Rosa credited the squad's B-spec AMR26 upgrade package for improving performance during the current season. Facing early reliability issues and slow speeds, the team transitioned to a major, singular update strategy in Round 11 instead of incremental changes. De la Rosa admitted to pre-upgrade nerves regarding potential cooling issues with the revised side pods. Driver Fernando Alonso provided immediate positive feedback after his first installation run in Hungary. The performance gains allowed the car to outpace Cadillac and Williams in qualifying, followed by further engine enhancements in the Netherlands. Despite ongoing speculation regarding his future, De la Rosa stated that the upgrade success was not the deciding factor for Alonso, who continues to evaluate the overall team project.