P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Why is Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 car not green?
Aston Martin debuted their black livery on the track for the first time during the F1 private shakedown in Barcelona this week, attracting attention due to the departure from their traditional racing green.
The team, represented by drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, had limited time with the new Adrian Newey-designed AMR26 car, as they joined the Barcelona testing session later in the week.
2026 brings major regulation changes to Formula 1, leading to teams having the option of nine full days of testing, but Aston Martin chose to participate for only a single day in Barcelona.
The all-black livery used in Barcelona is temporary and will be replaced by the official 2026 colors during Aston Martin’s car launch event on February 9.
Aston Martin’s delayed arrival in Barcelona was due to final design adjustments by Newey, and although they missed testing days, they plan to participate fully in the Bahrain testing events before the upcoming season.
The shakedown, a typical pre-season procedure in F1, allows teams to evaluate their cars without media access, and Sky Sports will provide exclusive coverage of the Barcelona event on their F1 channel and YouTube.
