Issue 42 - Fuel the Passion (FTP) Weekly Roundup
Week Ending 20th September 2026
Your guide to Issue 42
This week’s Roundup takes us behind the scenes with Blackthorn Racing at Silverstone, through the latest developments at Aston Martin and Honda in Formula 1, and on to Valhalla, Valkyrie, the DB12 and plenty more from across the Aston Martin world.
Read it from beginning to end, explore the sections that interest you most, or return whenever you have a quiet moment. However you choose to enjoy Issue 42, thank you for spending some of your time with FTP.
There’s plenty worth discovering.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
EDITORS INTRODUCTION - Dan, Fuel the Passion
Welcome to Issue 42 of the Fuel the Passion Weekly Roundup. We hope you've had a great week. We’ve certainly had a good one, although much of it has been spent thinking back to last weekend at Silverstone, which was very special for us and for Fuel the Passion.
Take another look at the photograph above. That's the Blackthorn Racing team pushing the #91 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo through the Silverstone paddock, and for two days I had the enormous privilege of being on the other side of the usual barriers, inside the garage, around the team and watching at close quarters everything that goes into getting one racing Aston Martin onto the circuit.
Image © Fuel the Passion. Blackthorn Racing Team, Tom Canning, Julien Draper and Claude Bovet discussing the racing weekend.
I've covered plenty of Aston Martin motorsport for Fuel the Passion, but this was different. Instead of following timing screens and race coverage from home, I was standing in the garage for the debriefs, watching the mechanics work on the car, filming the driver change and tyre stops from the pit lane and talking to Claude Bovet and Tom Canning as the weekend unfolded around them.
It reinforced something I've increasingly come to believe about motorsport. The car might be what initially draws us in, but once you get behind the scenes, it's the people who make the story. Blackthorn couldn't have made me feel more welcome, and I'm genuinely grateful to everyone in the team for allowing FTP such extraordinary access.
Image © Fuel the Passion. Driver change during practice, Silverstone 2026.
You'll find much more from Silverstone further down this week's Roundup, but it certainly wasn't the only Aston Martin story competing for our attention. Formula 1 has given us plenty to explore again, including some fascinating insight into the very different worlds of traditional design and artificial intelligence inside Aston Martin's Technology Campus. We've also been given our first look at where Formula 1 is heading in 2027.
Away from the paddock, things become rather more varied. There's an extraordinary Valhalla in Indonesia, we've finally discovered what Aston Martin's intriguing MobLand collaboration is all about, and one of the marque's most remarkable racing cars has made the transition into the virtual world.
Somewhere amongst all of that, there's also an Aston Martin currently sitting in a UK showroom that had me wondering whether the arrival of a newer, faster version has suddenly made its predecessor look rather tempting.
So, grab a coffee, settle in and let's take a look at another busy week in the Aston Martin world.
We'll begin with Formula 1, where Fernando Alonso arrived in Madrid hoping for something special at his home Grand Prix. Unfortunately for the Spaniard and Aston Martin, the weekend ultimately delivered rather more frustration than celebration.
FORMULA 1 - A DIFFICULT HOMECOMING FOR ALONSO IN MADRID
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Fernando Alonso, AMR26, Madrid. Spanish Grand Prix 2026.
Formula 1's first visit to the new Madring circuit ultimately delivered little for Aston Martin, as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll left Madrid without a point between them.
As we looked ahead to the Spanish Grand Prix in last week's Roundup, there was already a sense that Aston Martin faced a difficult weekend. That proved to be the case, with Alonso qualifying 18th and Stroll starting from the back of the grid after taking new Honda power-unit components.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Fernando Alonso, Madrid. Spanish Grand Prix 2026.
Alonso's race became even more difficult following contact with Carlos Sainz, which forced the Aston Martin into the wall and contributed to an additional pit stop. He continued, but eventually finished 17th. Stroll's afternoon ended altogether when brake problems forced him to retire and triggered a Virtual Safety Car.
At the front, Kimi Antonelli took his eighth victory of the season after the timing of that Virtual Safety Car worked in Mercedes' favour. Max Verstappen finished second, with pole-sitter Lando Norris third after losing time through the timing of his pit stop and a slow tyre change.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes.
For Aston Martin, however, Madrid was another weekend to forget. Attention now turns to Baku, where further development of the AMR26 is expected as the team continues searching for a way forward during what has become an increasingly difficult season.
The full Spanish Grand Prix report, results and Aston Martin analysis are available in the FTP Motorsport Hub
From a difficult weekend for Aston Martin in Formula 1, attention turns to Germany, where there was considerably more at stake. Nicki Thiim arrived at the Sachsenring still firmly in the DTM title fight, but left with his championship hopes over.
DTM - THIIM’S TITLE CHALLENGE ENDS AT THE SACHSENRING
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Vantage Racing in DTM 2026.
Last week we headed into the Sachsenring with Nicki Thiim still firmly in contention for the DTM Drivers’ Championship. The Aston Martin works driver arrived third in the standings, 21 points behind championship leader Maro Engel, with four races remaining.
Saturday at least produced some points. Thiim brought the #7 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo home eighth, but with his championship rivals scoring more heavily, the task was becoming increasingly difficult.
Sunday proved decisive. Thiim’s race ended following a heavy collision with Jules Gounon’s Mercedes-AMG as the Frenchman returned to the circuit following his second pit stop. Both cars retired and the resulting Safety Car interrupted the closing stages of the race. Thankfully, subsequent medical examinations confirmed that Gounon escaped without any broken bones, although he suffered bruising to his left hand. Nicolas Baert’s #8 Comtoyou Aston Martin also retired early from Sunday’s race, completing a disappointing penultimate DTM weekend for the marque.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Vantage Racing in DTM 2026
It’s a frustrating conclusion to Thiim’s championship challenge, but it shouldn’t overshadow what Aston Martin and Comtoyou have achieved during their first DTM season together. Most memorably, Thiim delivered a remarkable double victory at the Norisring, Aston Martin’s first wins in the championship, and remained part of the title fight deep into the season.
There’s now one final opportunity to finish that campaign strongly when DTM heads to Hockenheim on 9th–11th October. The complete Sachsenring results and Aston Martin analysis are available in the FTP Motorsport Hub
Germany was also the setting for another Aston Martin championship challenge, this time at Hockenheim. Blackthorn Racing arrived with Charlie Bateman firmly in the International GT Open Pro-Am title fight and, once again, the #97 Vantage demonstrated just how much outright pace it possesses.
INTERNATIONAL GT OPEN - BLACKTHORN REMAINS IN THE TITLE FIGHT
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
Blackthorn Racing's International GT Open campaign continued at Hockenheim, where Charlie Bateman and Aston Martin works driver Jonny Adam once again demonstrated the outright potential of the #97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.
Following their superb double Pro-Am victory at Paul Ricard, Hockenheim didn't bring another trip to the top step of the podium. Bateman and Adam recovered to finish fourth in Pro-Am in Saturday's opening race, a useful result made more significant when championship leader Alexander Fach failed to score.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
Sunday then provided perhaps the clearest indication of Blackthorn's underlying pace. Adam qualified an outstanding third overall and on Pro-Am pole, his 1:37.178 lap placing the Aston Martin on the second row amongst the leading Pro entries and just 0.337 seconds from outright pole.
Unfortunately, rain began falling almost immediately after the start. Adam was caught by the rapidly changing grip conditions and spun on the opening lap, turning what had promised to be a challenge towards the front into a recovery drive. A chaotic race of intermittent rain, tyre decisions and Safety Cars eventually saw Blackthorn recover to fifth in Pro-Am.
The results weren't quite what the speed of the Aston Martin had promised, but importantly Blackthorn remains firmly in championship contention. On FTP's current calculation, Bateman sits second in Pro-Am on 68 points, just four behind Alexander Fach with two rounds remaining.*
Next comes the Monza GT Open 500 on 25th–27th September, before the championship concludes at Barcelona. With three Pro-Am victories already this season and the #97 increasingly demonstrating that it can compete with the leading Pro cars on outright pace, there's still plenty to play for.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
The full Hockenheim report, results and championship analysis are available in the FTP Motorsport Hub
*GT Open's official championship classification had not yet been updated with the Hockenheim totals when last checked, so the post-Hockenheim points remain FTP calculations pending publication of the refreshed official standings.
While one Blackthorn Racing Aston Martin was competing at Hockenheim, another was rather closer to home. At Silverstone, Claude Bovet and Tom Canning were preparing the #91 Vantage for the Michelin Le Mans Cup, and this time, Fuel the Passion wasn't following the action from afar.
MICHELIN LE MANS CUP - FTP GOES BEHIND THE SCENES AT SILVERSTONE
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. #91 Blackthorn Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Silverstone 2026.
Silverstone was rather different for Fuel the Passion last weekend. Instead of following the Michelin Le Mans Cup from home, FTP spent two days embedded with Blackthorn Racing, joining the team behind the scenes as Claude Bovet and Tom Canning contested the penultimate round of the championship in the #91 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. Claude Bovet, Blackthorn Racing, Silverstone 2026.
There was plenty of Aston Martin promise from the outset. Code Racing Development put its Vantage on GT3 pole, while Claude produced an excellent qualifying performance to place the Blackthorn Aston Martin third in class, with a 2:02.718 lap.
Claude maintained third during the opening part of Saturday's two-hour race and was pushing to make further progress when a spin dropped the #91 down the order. Tom subsequently took over, with changing weather adding another complication as Blackthorn switched between slick and wet tyres before eventually bringing the Aston Martin home seventh in GT3, earning six championship points.
Elsewhere, Code Racing Development converted pole into fourth place, while the #10 Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin endured a difficult afternoon but retained the GT3 championship lead. With just the Portimão finale remaining, it leads Kessel Racing by only five points.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. #91 Blackthorn Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Silverstone 2026.
For FTP, however, Silverstone provided a completely different perspective on the racing. From practice and qualifying preparations to engineering briefings, driver changes, pit stops and the rapidly changing weather during the race, we were able to see first-hand just how much work goes on behind the scenes to put one GT3 car on the circuit.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. Blackthorn Racing preparing in the pits at Silverstone. FTP’s Dan can be seen on the left, DJI Pocket 3 in hand, speaking to professional driver Tom Canning.
There was another side to the weekend that deserves mentioning too: how welcoming everyone at Blackthorn Racing was. Having somebody relentlessly attaching microphones to your race suit and pointing a camera lens in your direction nearly every time you step out of the car probably isn't the most natural addition to a race weekend. Yet Claude, Tom and the wider Blackthorn team were incredibly accommodating, allowing FTP to capture not only what happened on track, but many of the quieter moments around the garage and behind the scenes.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. #91 Blackthorn Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Silverstone 2026.
So a big thank you to everyone at Blackthorn Racing for inviting Fuel the Passion into the team and trusting us to document what happens beyond the racing itself.
A huge amount was filmed across the two days and, hopefully, much more of it will eventually be seen. The intention is to produce a full-length documentary-style film telling the story of the weekend from inside Blackthorn Racing.
There's one hurdle still to negotiate. Understandably, international race series operate tight controls over the licensing and use of content filmed around their championships. FTP is therefore working through the appropriate channels and continuing dialogue with Blackthorn Racing and the race organisers to establish exactly how the longer film can be licensed and released. It's important that this is worked through properly and progressed in the right way.
In the meantime, on Friday evening FTP released a 2-minute 42 second preview, a small taste of what we're hopefully going to be able to bring you in the weeks ahead.
You can watch the preview below:
Whatever ultimately follows, spending a complete race weekend inside Blackthorn Racing was a fascinating experience and gave FTP its closest look yet at the people, preparation and teamwork behind the #91 Aston Martin.
For the complete Silverstone race report, results and championship standings, head over to the FTP Motorsport Hub
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. #91 Blackthorn Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Silverstone 2026.
With Silverstone behind us, the Aston Martin motorsport calendar certainly isn't slowing down. Another weekend of racing is already underway, so let's look at where the Vantage will be competing and what Aston Martin fans should be watching for this weekend.
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THIS WEEKEND IN ASTON MARTIN MOTORSPORT
GT WORLD CHALLENGE EUROPE - ZANDVOORT
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup is at Zandvoort for the penultimate round of the season, with a huge field of GT3 machinery tackling the fast and undulating Dutch circuit.
Aston Martin is represented by Comtoyou Racing's #007 Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, shared by Nicki Thiim and Kobe Pauwels, while Walkenhorst Motorsport's #35 Vantage, driven by Maxime Robin and Gaspard Simon, competes in the Silver Cup.
Thiim arrives in the Netherlands following a frustrating DTM weekend at the Sachsenring, but we've already seen what he and Comtoyou can achieve with the Vantage this season. Just a few weeks ago, Thiim joined Mattia Drudi and Marco Sørensen in delivering an impressive GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup victory for Aston Martin at the Nürburgring. The Zandvoort weekend features two one-hour Sprint Cup races, with the second taking place today (Sunday) at 13:15 BST.
Whatever happened in Saturday's opening encounter, there's therefore another opportunity this afternoon for the Aston Martin crews to make their mark before the Sprint Cup reaches its final round.
IMSA - VALKYRIE RETURNS AT INDIANAPOLIS
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin Valkyrie at speed.
Across the Atlantic, Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts another significant Aston Martin weekend as the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech SportsCar Championship arrives at the famous Brickyard.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Most significantly, the #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie returns to IMSA competition after sitting out the GT-only round at Virginia International Raceway. Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis will share the V12-powered Hypercar in today's Battle on the Bricks as Aston Martin continues the first season of its extraordinary top-class endurance programme.
There are Vantages to follow too. CarBahn's #68 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, driven by Valentin Hasse-Clot and Marco Sørensen, competes in GTD PRO, while Dudu Barrichello and Tom Gamble share the #27 Heart of Racing Vantage in GTD.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. #27 Vantage in battle.
The latter remains particularly interesting from a championship perspective. Heart of Racing lost the GTD championship lead at VIR despite recovering to fourth, making Indianapolis another important opportunity as the season approaches its conclusion.
Aston Martin also has a substantial presence at Indianapolis in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, with seven Vantage GT4 Evos entered in the Grand Sport field during the weekend. The headline event, though, is still to come. The Battle on the Bricks begins today at 20:10 BST, putting Valkyrie and the GT3 Vantages centre stage on Sunday evening.
After Valkyrie's encouraging fourth-place WEC finish at COTA earlier this month, Indianapolis provides another opportunity to see how Aston Martin's most ambitious racing programme continues to develop.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Ross Gunn in Helmet, in Valkyrie.
We'll bring you the results and update the relevant championship pages in the FTP Motorsport Hub following the weekend.
While Aston Martin's racing programmes continue on both sides of the Atlantic, one question surrounding its most famous driver is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Fernando Alonso's future beyond 2026 remains undecided, and over the past week, the conversation has broadened considerably beyond simply whether Aston Martin can give him a faster Formula 1 car.
ALONSO'S 2027 CROSSROADS - F1, WEC AND HIS ASTON MARTIN FUTURE
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin Valkyrie & Fernando Alonso.
Fernando Alonso has never been particularly interested in simply making up the numbers, and as his 45th year continues, the question of what comes next is becoming increasingly fascinating. We've followed the uncertainty surrounding Alonso's future throughout the summer, but his comments around the Spanish Grand Prix have given us the clearest indication yet of the choices he’s considering.
Asked in Madrid when an announcement about 2027 might arrive, Alonso's answer was simple: “Not soon.” Aston Martin isn't pushing him for an immediate decision either, leaving its two-time World Champion free to consider whether he wants another season in Formula 1 at all.
Alonso has become increasingly outspoken about Formula 1's new regulations, particularly the influence of electrical energy deployment and the extent to which energy management can dictate performance. His concern appears to be whether the regulations allow the driver to remain sufficiently influential, and whether Formula 1 is still providing the type of racing he wants at this stage of his career.
Changes are already coming. The FIA has ratified revisions for 2027 and 2028 designed to rebalance the contribution of the internal-combustion engine and energy-recovery system, alongside changes to fuel-energy flow, ERS deployment and greater flexibility in energy management. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has also become publicly involved in the discussion, making clear his desire to see Alonso remain in Formula 1 while the sport continues evaluating its regulations.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Yet another possibility has now emerged, and it's particularly interesting from an Aston Martin perspective.
Asked directly in Madrid whether racing for Aston Martin in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027 could be an option, Alonso answered: “Yes.” It was the clearest acknowledgement yet that his next chapter could potentially involve swapping the AMR26 for the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
For a driver with Alonso's endurance-racing record, it's hardly an outlandish possibility. He already has two outright victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, alongside a World Endurance Championship title, and has never hidden his enthusiasm for competing beyond Formula 1. Imagine, then, Alonso returning to Le Mans, this time at the wheel of an Aston Martin Valkyrie.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin Valkyrie & Fernando Alonso.
For now, that's all it is: a possibility. There has been no announcement of a WEC programme for Alonso in 2027 and no confirmation that he will leave Formula 1.
Alonso has offered another interesting perspective on Aston Martin's position this week, this time in conversation with Pedro de la Rosa for the team's Extraordinary by Design series. Rather than disguising the difficulties of 2026, Alonso admitted Aston Martin had found itself “less competitive than we expected”, describing the situation at the beginning of the season as something of a shock.
His description of what happened next was perhaps more revealing. Alonso said the direction quickly became clear inside the team, with everyone united around doing “whatever it takes” to improve the situation. Aston Martin accepted that meaningful progress would take time, he explained, with the second part of the season identified as the point at which the team hoped to begin putting the AMR26 in a better place. Despite the difficult start, Alonso said he remains optimistic about the future.
There was also an interesting observation about Formula 1 more generally. Alonso described it as far more of a team sport than it appears from the outside, with driver feedback feeding into engineers, designers, tyre specialists, suspension groups and many others back at the Technology Campus. Having spent last weekend watching that same principle operating on a rather smaller scale inside Blackthorn Racing's Silverstone garage, it's a sentiment that particularly resonated with me this week.
There's another perspective on Alonso's future, however, and it shifts the question away from what the Spaniard wants to do next and towards what Aston Martin should do with its driver line-up.
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle believes Aston Martin should consider using this period of change to rebuild for the longer term. Speaking around the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Brundle said that if he were running the team, he'd be inclined to recruit a couple of “mid 25-year-olds” and rebuild the driver pairing as Aston Martin enters the next phase of its development under Adrian Newey. It's an interesting argument because it wouldn't simply mean replacing Alonso. Brundle was talking about changing both sides of the Aston Martin garage, which would also raise the question of Lance Stroll's future.
His comments prompted an immediate challenge from former World Champion Nico Rosberg, who interpreted them rather more bluntly as Brundle wanting Aston Martin to get rid of Alonso. Brundle subsequently clarified that this wasn't really the point he was making. He acknowledged how much he enjoys seeing Alonso competing at 45, but believes that if he were making the decisions at Aston Martin, he'd be looking at rebuilding the complete driver pairing ready for the team's next phase. It's an opinion rather than any indication that Aston Martin is preparing to follow that route. The team has given no public indication that it intends to replace Alonso or Stroll.
Still, it adds another dimension to what’s becoming one of the more intriguing questions surrounding Aston Martin's future. Much of the conversation has understandably centred on whether Alonso wants to continue beyond 2026. Brundle's argument effectively turns that around: as Aston Martin attempts to build for the future, should the team also be considering what it wants from its drivers several years from now?
There's another important distinction too. Alonso stepping away from the F1 cockpit wouldn't necessarily mean leaving Aston Martin. He has previously described his relationship with the company as a long-term project and made clear that he expects to remain involved beyond his eventual retirement from Formula 1.
That makes the question rather more interesting than simply “Will Alonso stay at Aston Martin?” Perhaps it's really becoming: where will Fernando Alonso race for Aston Martin next?
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin Valkyrie & Fernando Alonso.
For the moment, he appears in no hurry to give us the answer. Here at FTP, we're certainly pleased to hear that, whatever Alonso ultimately decides about his Formula 1 future, his relationship with Aston Martin appears likely to continue in one form or another. He's become an important part of the modern Aston Martin story, and the prospect of that relationship extending beyond his final F1 race, perhaps even into the Valkyrie programme, is an exciting one.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Fernando Alonso, AMR F1 Team & HRC team walk Madrid Circuit, 2026.
Of course, whatever Alonso decides will also be influenced by what happens around him. Aston Martin continues working to improve the AMR26, but as we know, its new works partnership with Honda has endured a difficult first season, and there’s now a significant change taking place at the top of the Japanese manufacturer’s Formula 1 programme.
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HONDA CHANGES F1 LEADERSHIP AS DEVELOPMENT PUSH CONTINUES
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Used for editorial purposes.
There will be a new figure at the head of Honda's Formula 1 power-unit development programme from 1st October, with Yoichiro Fukao replacing Tetsushi Kakuda as Large Project Leader of the project responsible for Aston Martin's RA626H power unit.
The timing has inevitably attracted attention. Honda's much-anticipated return to Formula 1 as Aston Martin's exclusive works partner hasn't delivered the start either organisation hoped for, with the new power unit suffering reliability problems earlier in the season and remaining short of the performance of the leading manufacturers.
Some reports have consequently portrayed Kakuda's departure as Honda reacting to those difficulties. Honda itself, however, describes the change rather differently, calling it a “planned transition” intended to accelerate development while ensuring technical knowledge is transferred to the next generation of engineers.
Fukao certainly isn't arriving as an outsider. He joined Honda in 2002 working on Formula 1 engine and gearbox control systems, subsequently worked on production hybrid technology and MotoGP, and returned to Honda's F1 programme in 2014. He has served as deputy leader of the project since 2017 and currently also heads its software division.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Used for editorial purposes.
Regular Roundup readers will know that FTP has been following Honda's attempts to recover throughout the season. After the difficult opening months, a substantially revised power unit arrived at Zandvoort, featuring changes to areas including combustion, the pre-chamber, piston design and lubrication as Honda sought greater performance and reduced friction.
There have been encouraging steps, but the job clearly isn't finished. Aston Martin and Honda remain some distance from where either expected to be when their new works partnership began, and further regulation changes are already coming for 2027. Honda says moving to the new leadership structure early will help establish a stronger development framework and ultimately deliver a more competitive power unit. Honda's efforts to close that gap are also feeding into a wider Formula 1 discussion about whether the sport's existing power-unit catch-up mechanism needs further refinement.
The Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system was introduced with the new regulations to prevent a manufacturer falling too far behind and effectively being locked into an uncompetitive engine. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) assesses the performance of each manufacturer's internal-combustion engine during defined periods of the season and, where the deficit exceeds specified thresholds, permits additional homologated upgrades, development spending and dynamometer testing.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes.
Honda has already benefited. Following the first assessment period of 2026, the FIA calculated that Honda's internal-combustion engine was more than four per cent behind the benchmark, qualifying it for two additional homologation upgrades in 2026 and two in 2027, together with increased development and testing allowances. Audi and Ferrari received the same allocation, while Mercedes qualified for one additional homologation in each season. No further upgrades were awarded to any manufacturer following the second assessment period.
The question now being discussed is whether measuring only the internal-combustion engine tells the complete story. The modern Formula 1 power unit also relies heavily on its electrical systems and energy deployment, areas that can have a substantial effect on the performance available to the driver.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Red Bull's Laurent Mekies have both indicated that they're open to discussing whether the regulations need further refinement if the current mechanism isn't adequately addressing a manufacturer's disadvantage. That shouldn't be interpreted as agreement that Honda will receive additional assistance. At this stage, it's a discussion about whether the system itself could evolve.
Honda appears similarly cautious about expecting regulation changes to solve its problems. Shintaro Orihara, Honda Racing Corporation's Formula 1 Technical Director, has made clear that there is no “magic solution” available from the FIA and that Honda's priority remains working through its own development programme.
For Aston Martin, that's probably the most important point. The regulations may provide Honda with additional opportunities to catch up, and the mechanism itself may yet be refined, but ultimately the performance still has to be found and delivered by Honda's engineers.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Mike Krack, AMR F1 press conference Madrid 2026.
Perhaps the most important point is that this shouldn't automatically be interpreted as panic within the partnership. Aston Martin has previously spoken about how the difficulties encountered this season have actually strengthened the working relationship between Silverstone and Honda's operation in Sakura, with Mike Krack describing both organisations as being “in this together” as they work their way out of the problems.
Whether the leadership change was always destined to happen at this point or whether the difficult start to 2026 influenced its timing from behind the scenes is something we simply don't know. What we do know is that from October, Fukao will be the man charged with leading the next phase of Honda's Formula 1 recovery, and Aston Martin's fortunes are intrinsically linked to its success.
Honda, of course, is only one part of the equation. While work continues in Sakura to extract more from the RA626H, Adrian Newey and the team at Silverstone haven't stopped developing the car around it either, with the next stage of the AMR26's development programme now approaching.
NEWEY’S AMR26 DEVELOPMENT PUSH ISN’T FINISHED YET
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes.
Aston Martin may increasingly be looking towards the future, but Adrian Newey hasn't finished trying to extract more from the AMR26 just yet. Regular readers will remember the enormous development package introduced in Hungary, where no fewer than 16 changes transformed large areas of the car. A new nose, substantially revised floor, altered sidepod inlets and extensive aerodynamic changes represented the first major attempt to address the weaknesses that had left Aston Martin struggling towards the back of the grid during the opening half of the season.
The immediate signs were encouraging. Aston Martin made a noticeable step forward in Hungary and, importantly, Newey made clear at the time that what we'd seen was only the first part of a planned development programme. Further steps were scheduled for Zandvoort and then later races, including Baku.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes.
So, as Formula 1 prepares to head to Azerbaijan next weekend, attention will once again turn towards what Aston Martin brings to the AMR26.
It's worth adding a note of caution here. We shouldn't necessarily expect another Hungary-style transformation. The substantial aerodynamic overhaul has already taken place, and the subsequent programme is about continuing to understand and refine that package while extracting weight and performance from the car.
Newey himself has consistently resisted making dramatic predictions about where those developments might place Aston Martin. His stated immediate objective when the revised car appeared in Hungary was simply to return the team to “a point of respectability”, before continuing to work logically through the AMR26's problems.
Madrid demonstrated just how much work remains. Fernando Alonso finished 17th and Lance Stroll retired, leaving Aston Martin without points on another difficult weekend.
Newey, though, certainly isn't restricting his attention to his own machinery. Before Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, he was spotted on the grid taking a particularly close look at Oscar Piastri's McLaren MCL40. It wasn't the first time either. Newey has previously been seen studying McLaren's 2026 car at Monaco and Hungary, as well as examining rival machinery from Mercedes and Ferrari during the season.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes.
There's nothing particularly unusual about Formula 1 engineers examining their competitors whenever the opportunity arises, and we shouldn't interpret Newey's interest as evidence that Aston Martin is about to copy a particular McLaren solution. It is, however, another fascinating glimpse of one of Formula 1's most celebrated designers at work.
Perhaps that's the broader story here. The AMR26 hasn't become the car Aston Martin hoped for overnight, nor has the Hungary package suddenly transformed it into a regular points contender. Instead, we're watching an ongoing process: Newey and the team learning, developing and gradually trying to understand how to move Aston Martin forward. Baku represents the next opportunity to see whether another piece of that puzzle has fallen into place.
FROM NEWEY'S DRAWING BOARD TO AI - HOW ASTON MARTIN DEVELOPS AN F1 CAR
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes.
We've spent plenty of time this season looking at what Adrian Newey and Aston Martin are changing on the AMR26. An interesting insight this week has given us a glimpse of something rather different: how an idea actually travels through a modern Formula 1 team before eventually becoming part of the car. The answer involves some of the most sophisticated computing technology in motorsport. Perhaps surprisingly, though, it can still begin with a human being, an idea and a drawing board.
Speaking to SportsPro about the role of artificial intelligence in motorsport, Aston Martin Formula 1 Chief Information Officer Fabrizio Pilotti explained that the earliest conceptual stage of developing the car remains very much a human process. Much of that initial thinking, he says, exists “in the brain” of the designer before being explored through drawings and eventually transferred into Computer-Aided Design (CAD).
Image © Fuel the Passion. Image produced for illustrative purposes. HP-41C programmable calculator.
That's particularly interesting when Adrian Newey is part of the equation. Despite the enormous computing resources now available to Formula 1 teams, Newey remains famously comfortable working through ideas by hand. Pilotti even revealed that the pair share an enthusiasm for another rather less modern piece of technology: the HP-41C programmable calculator, first introduced in 1979.
From there, however, things become rather more 21st century.
Once a design enters CAD, Aston Martin can begin feeding enormous numbers of data points through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), simulation tools and increasingly sophisticated algorithms, including artificial intelligence. CFD allows engineers to simulate how air behaves around a component or the complete car before committing precious time to manufacturing and physical testing.
Image © Fuel the Passion. Image produced for illustrative purposes.
Pilotti explained that Aston Martin doesn't simply throw every aspect of the car into one enormous simulation. Aerodynamics, suspension movement and geometry, tyres and power-unit performance can be investigated in different ways, allowing engineers to concentrate computing resources on whichever area offers the most useful development opportunity.
If, for example, work on a new front wing suggests an aerodynamic improvement can reach the racetrack more quickly than a change to the suspension geometry, that programme can be prioritised. As Pilotti put it, “We simulate them in different ways because we need to close the learning loops pretty fast.”
You’ve reached the halfway point
That’s the first half of Issue 42 complete.
Still ahead: Formula 1’s 2027 calendar, an extraordinary Valhalla in Indonesia, Aston Martin’s new role in MobLand, Valkyrie entering the virtual world, our Car of the Week and a more personal FTP reflection on two remarkable days inside Blackthorn Racing.
Telemetry and simulation information flows between the racetrack and Aston Martin's Technology Campus at Silverstone, where SportsPro reports that around 45 people work in Mission Control, supporting those operating the cars trackside.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of that wider process, although perhaps not quite in the science-fiction sense of a computer designing an Aston Martin by itself. Pilotti's description is much more interesting than that. Human beings still generate ideas, make engineering judgements and decide which development paths are worth pursuing; ever more powerful computational tools then allow those ideas to be analysed, tested and refined at extraordinary speed. There's even an unexpected consequence during races. Pilotti believes the increasing use of artificial intelligence across Formula 1 is contributing to teams arriving at increasingly similar strategic decisions. When everybody has access to sophisticated analysis, the unusual strategic gamble can become rather less common.
Image © Fuel the Passion. Image produced for illustrative purposes.
Perhaps that's the most fascinating part of the whole story. At one end of Aston Martin's Technology Campus sits an extraordinary collection of computing power capable of modelling airflow, analysing enormous datasets and helping engineers understand thousands of possible solutions.
Somewhere at the beginning of that process, though, an idea can apparently still start with Adrian Newey, a pencil and a drawing board.
Formula 1's future, then, may not be quite as simple as human intelligence versus artificial intelligence. The really interesting part is what happens when you combine the two.
For all the extraordinary technology involved, however, Formula 1 ultimately comes back to the person sitting behind the wheel. Aston Martin can use increasingly sophisticated tools to understand and develop its car, but the final measure is what its drivers can extract from it. Fernando Alonso's ability has rarely been questioned; according to Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa, though, there's another driver in the garage whose underlying speed perhaps deserves rather more recognition.
DE LA ROSA: STROLL’S SPEED IS BEING UNDERESTIMATED
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Lance Stroll.
Lance Stroll has endured another difficult season, but Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa believes the Canadian's underlying speed is considerably greater than the results suggest. Speaking on Formula 1's Beyond The Grid podcast, the former F1 driver offered an interesting insight based not simply on what we see on a Sunday afternoon, but on the data available from inside Aston Martin.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Pedro de la Rosa.
De la Rosa described Stroll as “super fast”, arguing that there are numerous circuits and individual corners where the Canadian is exceptionally difficult to beat. More strikingly, he believes Stroll possesses speed across different types of corner rather than having one particular area in which he excels.
His conclusion was particularly emphatic. When Aston Martin gets the car working properly and provides its drivers with a more predictable platform, De la Rosa believes Stroll can be “as quick as Fernando”.
There is, however, an important distinction between possessing that raw speed and consistently turning it into a complete qualifying lap or race weekend. De la Rosa acknowledges that himself. He believes mistakes and small problems during qualifying have too often prevented Stroll from putting everything together, compromising his grid position and consequently making the remainder of the weekend considerably harder. He also highlighted Stroll's race pace and tyre management as particular strengths.
The statistics provide some important context. Since Alonso and Stroll became team-mates in 2023, Alonso has held an 89–15 qualifying advantage and has outscored Stroll 335 points to 131. Alonso has also been around three-tenths of a second quicker on average in qualifying during 2026. So De la Rosa isn't claiming that the two drivers have produced equivalent results. Clearly, they haven't. His argument is rather more nuanced: when he looks beyond the final classification and into Aston Martin's telemetry, he sees considerably more speed in Stroll than the headline statistics might suggest.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Lance Stroll, AMR26, Belgian Grand Prix 2026.
There's another revealing element to his comments too. De la Rosa described the current Aston Martin as a very difficult car to drive, citing not only the chassis but also the driveability of the Honda power unit as areas requiring improvement.
That brings us back to the wider theme running through several of this week's stories. Honda is working on its power unit, Newey and his team are continuing to develop the AMR26, and Aston Martin's drivers are trying to extract what they can from the package they currently have.
Perhaps a better car will eventually give us a clearer answer to the Stroll question too.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Lance Stroll, Austrian Grand Prix 2026.
Questions about Aston Martin's drivers, its developing relationship with Honda and the direction of the car will continue well beyond this season. We now know the framework in which the next chapter will unfold too, because Formula 1 has published its 2027 calendar, and alongside two returning circuits comes a significant expansion of the Sprint format.
FORMULA 1 REVEALS ITS 2027 CALENDAR - WITH TEN SPRINT WEEKENDS
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Chinese GP 2026.
While Aston Martin's immediate attention remains firmly on improving its 2026 season, we now know exactly where the Formula 1 team will be heading next year, and there are some interesting changes to the calendar. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Formula 1 have confirmed a 24-race 2027 World Championship, visiting 22 countries and running from Bahrain in March through to Abu Dhabi in December.
2027 FORMULA 1 CALENDAR
24 Grands Prix · 22 Countries · 10 Sprint Weekends
| RACE | DATE | GRAND PRIX | VENUE | SPRINT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12–14 Mar | Bahrain | Sakhir | SPRINT |
| 2 | 19–21 Mar | Saudi Arabia | Jeddah | — |
| 3 | 2–4 Apr | Australia | Melbourne | SPRINT |
| 4 | 9–11 Apr | Japan | Suzuka | SPRINT |
| 5 | 16–18 Apr | China | Shanghai | — |
| 6 | 30 Apr–2 May | Miami | Miami | — |
| 7 | 21–23 May | Canada | Montréal | SPRINT |
| 8 | 4–6 Jun | Monaco | Monaco | SPRINT |
| 9 | 18–20 Jun | Portugal | Portimão | — |
| 10 | 2–4 Jul | Great Britain | Silverstone | SPRINT |
| 11 | 9–11 Jul | Austria | Spielberg | — |
| 12 | 23–25 Jul | Belgium | Spa-Francorchamps | — |
| 13 | 30 Jul–1 Aug | Hungary | Budapest | — |
| 14 | 3–5 Sep | Italy | Monza | SPRINT |
| 15 | 10–12 Sep | Spain | Madrid | — |
| 16 | 24–26 Sep | Azerbaijan | Baku | — |
| 17 | 1–3 Oct | Türkiye* | Istanbul | — |
| 18 | 8–10 Oct | Singapore | Singapore | — |
| 19 | 22–24 Oct | United States | Austin | — |
| 20 | 29–31 Oct | Mexico | Mexico City | — |
| 21 | 5–7 Nov | Brazil | São Paulo | SPRINT |
| 22 | 18–20 Nov | Las Vegas | Las Vegas | — |
| 23 | 3–5 Dec | Qatar | Lusail | SPRINT |
| 24 | 10–12 Dec | Abu Dhabi | Yas Marina | SPRINT |
There are two particularly welcome returns. Portugal rejoins the calendar at Portimão on 18th–20th June, bringing Formula 1 back to the Algarve circuit for the first time since 2021. Türkiye also returns at Istanbul Park on 1st–3rd October, although the event remains subject to FIA circuit homologation. For British Aston Martin supporters, Silverstone takes place on 2nd–4th July, while Madrid returns for its second Formula 1 weekend on 10th–12th September. Baku follows two weeks later, before the season eventually concludes in Abu Dhabi on 10th–12th December.
Formula 1 is increasing the number of Sprint weekends from six to ten. Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi will host the format for the first time, while Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Brazil and Qatar complete the ten-event Sprint schedule.
Image © Honda Motor Co. Ltd & Aston Martin Aramco. Used for editorial purposes. Monaco GP 2026.
Monaco is perhaps the most intriguing addition. A Sprint weekend means the drivers will effectively face two qualifying sessions around the streets of Monte Carlo, Sprint Qualifying on Friday and Grand Prix Qualifying on Saturday, with considerably less practice time in which to prepare.
Formula 1 says the expansion reflects the popularity of the format. Its figures show total viewing of Sprint weekends has been 12 per cent higher than conventional Grand Prix weekends, while 75 per cent of surveyed F1 fans believe Sprints add greater value to the season. Those figures help explain why a format that began with just three experimental events in 2021 will feature on almost half of the calendar next year. Whether every Formula 1 enthusiast will welcome quite so many is another question. Sprint weekends provide more competitive running, but they also remove practice time and change the traditional rhythm of a Grand Prix weekend.
For Aston Martin, 2027 will represent the second season of the current regulations and its works partnership with Honda, making the calendar another marker of just how quickly this new era is moving. Before we get there, of course, there's rather a lot of 2026 still to negotiate.
Ten Sprint weekends, though, does that improve Formula 1 for you, or are we beginning to reach the point where a Sprint no longer feels particularly special?
After a particularly Formula 1-heavy part of this week's Roundup, it's probably time we left the paddock behind. We won't be leaving extreme performance behind with it, though. From the circuits of the 2027 calendar, we're heading more than 7,000 miles east of Silverstone to Indonesia, where an extraordinary Aston Martin has appeared in an equally extraordinary specification. With 1,079PS, a 217mph top speed and a finish that gradually reveals more of its carbon-fibre bodywork as you move from front to rear, this particular Valhalla certainly knows how to make an entrance.
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VALHALLA GOES GREEN - AND CARBON - IN INDONESIA
Image © Fuel the Passion. Created for illustrative purposes.
Of all the Valhalla specifications we've seen so far, this might be one of the most unusual. An Aston Martin Valhalla has been spotted in the Semarang region of Indonesia, wearing a striking graduated finish that appears to transition from Buckinghamshire Green exposed carbon fibre at the front towards exposed carbon at the rear.
It's a specification that suits Valhalla's dramatic bodywork remarkably well. Rather than simply contrasting painted panels with visible carbon, the transition allows more of the underlying material to become apparent as you move along the car, emphasising just how extensively carbon fibre is used in Aston Martin's first series-production mid-engined supercar.
We've been unable to independently verify that particular claim, so we'll retain a little caution around the accolade, but its appearance is another indication of how Aston Martin's long-awaited supercar is now reaching customers in increasingly far-flung parts of the world.
Regular Roundup readers will know that FTP has been following that transition closely. Only last week, our Car of the Week was a virtually new Helios Yellow Valhalla with just 193 miles, offered for sale at an extraordinary £1,099,995. That followed another early example crossing the block at Mecum, which we featured in Issue 38 after it sold for $1,512,500 – approximately £1.12 million.
Those cars offered an early glimpse of the secondary market being created around Valhalla. This Indonesian example tells another part of the story: customer cars are increasingly escaping the confines of launches, motor shows and Aston Martin events and appearing on roads around the world.
Only 999 Valhallas are being produced, each combining a 4.0-litre twin-turbo flat-plane-crank V8 with three electric motors to produce 1,079PS and 1,100Nm. Aston Martin quotes 0–62mph in 2.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 217mph, while active aerodynamics can generate more than 600kg of downforce at 150mph in Race mode. For all those numbers, though, sometimes it's simply the specification that makes you stop and look.
Image © Fuel the Passion. Created for illustrative purposes.
Buckinghamshire Green fading into exposed carbon certainly achieves that.
Of course, there are plenty of ways for an Aston Martin to attract attention. An extraordinary specification in Indonesia is one; placing one alongside Tom Hardy in a Paramount+ drama is another. Last week, we followed the first clues of an intriguing collaboration between Aston Martin and MobLand. Now the mystery has been cleared up, and the DBX is about to become rather more than a supporting act.
ASTON MARTIN DBX LANDS A STARRING ROLE ALONGSIDE TOM HARDY IN MOBLAND
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin DBX in Mobland Season 02.
We now know exactly what Aston Martin has been building towards. When the second season of MobLand arrived on Paramount+ on Friday, Tom Hardy's Harry Da Souza gained a rather appropriate new companion: an Aston Martin DBX.
Aston Martin has confirmed that its high-performance SUV is Harry's vehicle of choice throughout Season 2, placing the DBX alongside one of the central characters in the series. Hardy returns alongside Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren, with Harry once again operating as the formidable fixer attempting to hold together the increasingly fractured Harrigan crime family.
It's a pairing that makes rather more sense than simply placing an expensive car in front of a camera. Harry is a character who needs to move between very different worlds: discreet when necessary, intimidating when required and frequently operating in situations where arriving unnoticed isn't necessarily an option. The DBX gives him luxury and practicality without losing the sense of performance and presence expected of an Aston Martin. That appears to have been very much the thinking behind the partnership.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin DBX in Mobland Season 02.
David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios, explained that the vehicles driven by the characters form part of the atmosphere the programme is trying to create, describing the DBX as bridging “raw, untamed power” with sophistication.
Aston Martin Global Marketing Director Finbar McFall approached the pairing from the other direction, describing the DBX as “commanding yet composed, powerful yet refined” and therefore a fitting companion for Harry Da Souza.
There's also now an explanation for something we spotted last week.
During the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, a specially liveried Aston Martin DBX appeared carrying the MobLand slogan “Chaos Reigns” across its bodywork. It wasn't simply a promotional display. The car took to Monza for a series of high-speed demonstration laps, with MobLand cast members Emmett J. Scanlan and Mandeep Dhillon experiencing the DBX from inside. Aston Martin says the collaboration will continue through further promotional activity during the release of Season 2.
The DBX had already made another suitably theatrical appearance before the announcement. Aston Martin displayed it alongside members of the cast at the Season 2 premiere at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, effectively introducing Harry's new transport before formally explaining the partnership. For Aston Martin, there's an obvious attraction in all of this.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
The marque's relationship with film will probably always be viewed through the extraordinary prism of James Bond, but partnerships such as MobLand put its current cars in front of a very different audience. Rather than leaning on Aston Martin's history, the DBX becomes part of a contemporary television world populated by some of Britain's most recognisable actors.
There’s a distinction worth making, too. This isn't another Bond-style association in which Aston Martin itself becomes part of the mythology surrounding the production. It's product placement and a wider promotional partnership, but one in which the choice of car feels unusually well matched to the character driving it. Perhaps that's why it works.
Season 2 consists of ten episodes, with a new episode released each Friday on Paramount+. So, for those already watching MobLand, there's now another reason to keep an eye on Harry whenever he reaches for the car keys.
For anyone who hasn't watched it yet? Aston Martin may just have provided the excuse.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin DBX in Mobland Season 02.
From the streets of MobLand to another screen altogether, Aston Martin's presence in the virtual world is growing too. This time there’s no Tom Hardy behind the wheel, but there is an opportunity for rather more of us to experience one of the marque's most extraordinary competition cars, even if the closest most of us will ever get to driving a Valkyrie AMR-LMH is from the comfort of home!
ASTON MARTIN VALKYRIE AMR-LMH ENTERS THE VIRTUAL WORLD
We've spent plenty of time this year following the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH around real racing circuits. Now there's another way to experience it, without leaving home. The Valkyrie AMR-LMH has joined iRacing as part of its new 2026 Season 4 release, giving sim racers the opportunity to get behind the wheel of Aston Martin's extraordinary V12 endurance racer for themselves.
Judging by the footage released by iRacing this week, an extraordinary amount of work has gone into recreating it. The video lasts only around three and a half minutes, essentially following the Valkyrie as it hurtles around a circuit, but it's the small details that make it so convincing. Heat haze shimmers behind the exhausts, those enormous tyres occasionally throw dust into the air, the headlights dazzle as the car approaches and the bodywork reacts naturally to every change in the circuit.
Anyone who’s heard the real Valkyrie AMR-LMH will know that its naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 is a huge part of its appeal, and iRacing has clearly paid particular attention to recreating it. The company says it spent more than a year developing its virtual Valkyrie, obtaining difficult-to-access telemetry and engineering information, real-world chassis data and direct engineering guidance to reproduce the car's behaviour.
At times, watching the footage, it's remarkably easy to forget that the Valkyrie we're looking at isn't actually on a circuit. I've included the full three-and-a-half-minute video below. You certainly don't need to watch all of it to appreciate what iRacing has achieved, just watch a little. Although, if you find yourself as captivated by it as we were, you may well end up watching the whole thing.
It really is quite a joy. Of course, it's not the real thing, and no simulator can recreate what it must actually feel like to sit inside a Valkyrie AMR-LMH with that V12 behind you. But the effort and extraordinary attention to detail here occasionally make you forget that what you're watching isn't real at all. The heat haze, the dust, the headlights, the movement of the car and, above everything else, that wonderful V12 soundtrack combine to make the illusion remarkably convincing.
The simulation goes deeper than appearances, too. The Valkyrie is available for AI racing and has been modelled for both dry and wet conditions, meaning drivers can discover for themselves just how manageable a 670bhp, non-hybrid Le Mans Hypercar might be when the rain starts falling. Take a look at the footage above and judge it for yourself.
How realistic do you think it looks? Could modern sim racing ever give you even a small taste of what driving something like the Valkyrie AMR-LMH is really like?
Judging by the reaction beneath iRacing's video, I'm certainly not alone in being impressed. The V12 soundtrack has attracted particular attention, with viewers describing the sound as everything from “brutal and beautiful” to the best they've yet heard in iRacing. One person even admitted they'd bought the virtual Valkyrie “just for the sound”, while another rather wonderfully complained that the only problem with the video was that “it's not loud enough.”
Not everybody is completely convinced. A handful of sim-racing enthusiasts argue that the sound still lacks some of the environmental echo and reverb of the real car, with others questioning whether it quite captures the Valkyrie's extraordinary voice accurately. That's probably a debate for those far more knowledgeable about simulation software than us. What seems much less contentious is the enthusiasm surrounding the arrival of the car itself, and the amount of work that's gone into recreating it.
Winter isn't very far away. There's a PlayStation 5 gathering dust at FTP HQ and, if virtual Aston Martins have reached this level of realism, perhaps it's time I found an excuse to start hurtling a few of them around simulated circuits again. There's only one slight problem with that plan: iRacing is a PC-based simulator, so the Valkyrie itself won't be appearing on my PS5. Perhaps that's just as well for my productivity.
From one way of taking your Aston Martin enthusiasm into the home, to another way of taking it with you when you leave it. Aston Martin's latest collaboration with Globe-Trotter brings a distinctly Formula 1 flavour to one of Britain's most famous luggage makers.
TRAVEL IN ASTON MARTIN STYLE - FOR £2,795
Image © Fuel the Passion. Created for illustrative purposes.
If your Aston Martin isn't quite enough to identify you as an enthusiast when you arrive at the airport, Globe-Trotter may have the answer.
The British luxury luggage maker has launched its latest collection with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, headed by a rather special four-wheel carry-on inspired by the colours and identity of the F1 operation.
Priced at £2,795, the case is limited to just 100 individually numbered examples worldwide and is handmade in England from Globe-Trotter's trademark black Vulcanised Fibreboard. Aston Martin Green leather provides the main contrast, with flashes of AM Lime appearing through the stitching and edge detailing. Bespoke Globe-Trotter × Aston Martin wheel caps complete the exterior.
Inside, the Formula 1 influence continues. A modern interpretation of traditional British houndstooth is produced in durable nylon incorporating the team's colours, accompanied by a co-branded patch and an individually numbered stainless-steel plaque. To see numerous images of the luggage, click HERE.
Despite all that exclusivity, it’s intended to be used. The four-wheel case has an extendable trolley handle, offers 34 litres of capacity and measures 42 × 56 × 21cm. Globe-Trotter says it meets the cabin-luggage requirements of most major airlines, although some may still require economy passengers to check it into the hold. For those who fancy a smaller taste of the collaboration, there's also a £295 charcoal leather passport sleeve and a matching £175 luggage tag, both featuring racing-inspired graphics developed with the Aston Martin F1 team.
Globe-Trotter itself has plenty of British heritage. Established in 1897, its luggage is still handmade in England, making the collaboration a meeting of two very different British luxury names. Of course, £2,795 for a carry-on suitcase isn't going to be for everyone. For some, that's an extraordinary amount of money to spend on something destined for an overhead locker; for collectors and Aston Martin F1 enthusiasts, the combination of craftsmanship, scarcity and team-specific detailing may make rather more sense.
One thing is certain: with only 100 being made, you're unlikely to mistake yours for somebody else's at baggage reclaim!
From something designed for the Aston Martin enthusiast with particularly expensive travel tastes, let's turn back to the cars themselves. With more than a century of extraordinary machinery to choose from, selecting the greatest Aston Martins of all time is no easy task, but that's exactly what Auto Express has attempted.
TEN OF THE GREATEST ASTON MARTINS - BUT WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR LIST?
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin DB5.
Trying to select the greatest Aston Martins ever made is an unenviable task. More than a century of history means there are plenty of candidates, and probably just as many opinions about which deserve a place.
That hasn't stopped Auto Express which this week selected ten of its favourite Aston Martins of all time.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin DB12.
Its choices stretch from the DB5 of 1963 right through to two of Aston Martin's newest creations, the DB12 and Valhalla. Between them come the V8 Zagato, 1992 Vantage, DB7, first-generation Vanquish, 2005 V8 Vantage, One-77 and Valkyrie.
Importantly, this isn't a countdown and Auto Express doesn't declare an overall winner. It does, however, reserve some particularly strong praise for a couple of the cars.
The DB5 is described as still being Aston Martin's “most iconic” model, while the 2005 V8 Vantage receives perhaps an even more interesting accolade. Looking back at what the compact V8 sports car represented when it arrived, Auto Express describes it as “probably the best Aston Martin yet” praising its looks, naturally aspirated V8 and the agility delivered by its shorter, stiffer and lighter platform.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. First Generation Vanquish.
The DB7 earns recognition not simply for its looks, but for the important role it played in Aston Martin's fortunes during the 1990s, while the original Vanquish is identified as the point at which the story of the modern Aston Martin really began.
At the other end of the spectrum sit the One-77 and Valkyrie, two very different demonstrations of just how far Aston Martin has been prepared to push engineering and performance, before the selection reaches the current generation with the DB12 and Valhalla.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin Valhalla.
Perhaps just as interesting, however, are the cars that don't appear. There's no DB4, DBS, DB9 or second-generation Vanquish, while several other significant models could make a perfectly convincing case for inclusion. That's probably inevitable when more than 110 years of Aston Martin history has to be reduced to just ten cars.
From an FTP perspective, choosing just one is almost impossible. I've been fortunate enough to spend plenty of time around some extraordinary Aston Martins, but I haven't yet had the opportunity to actually drive enough of them to make a fair judgement about which is the greatest. Looking at them, reading about them and even filming them can tell you a great deal, but getting behind the wheel is something else entirely. Perhaps one day I'll have driven enough of them to give you a definitive FTP answer. Until then, we'll throw the question over to you:
If you could choose just one Aston Martin as the greatest of them all, which would it be, and why?
One of the newest cars to earn a place in Auto Express's selection is the DB12. Aston Martin has since moved the story forward with the sharper and more powerful DB12 S, but that's created an interesting question for buyers of the original car. With early DB12s now appearing on the used market at substantially less than their original list price, and considerably less than a new DB12 S, could the car Auto Express has just included among its all-time favourites now be something of a bargain?
That brings us rather neatly to this week's Car of the Week.
CAR OF THE WEEK: HAS THE DB12 S MADE THE ORIGINAL DB12 A BARGAIN?
Image © Fuel the Passion. Aston Martin DB12, image for illustrative purposes.
The arrival of a faster, sharper 'S' model usually presents an interesting problem for the car that came before it. In the case of the Aston Martin DB12, however, it might also have created an opportunity.
Our Car of the Week is this 2024 Aston Martin DB12 Coupé, currently offered by Aston Martin Bristol for £142,990. Finished in Aluminite Silver over Bitter Chocolate semi-aniline leather, it's covered 11,000 miles, was first registered in March 2024 and has had just one owner.
Image © Fuel the Passion. Aston Martin DB12, image for illustrative purposes.
There's plenty of specification, too. Among the equipment are a 360-degree camera and automatic parking assistance, while the car also features Aston Martin Racing Green brake calipers, 21-inch Satin Black Diamond Turned wheels, privacy glass, smoked rear lights, Comfort Seats, a Sports Heated Steering Wheel and Bowers & Wilkins audio.
Being offered through the Aston Martin dealer network also means it comes under the Timeless programme, including its comprehensive inspection and associated warranty and roadside-assistance cover. But it's the price that makes this particular DB12 especially interesting.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin DB12 S.
Aston Martin has now moved the model forward with the DB12 S. Its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 produces 700PS, compared with 680PS in the original DB12, while 0–62mph falls from 3.6 to 3.5 seconds. Both are capable of 202mph. The differences go considerably deeper than those numbers suggest. The S receives a recalibrated eight-speed gearbox with substantially quicker shifts, revised chassis and electronic differential settings, standard carbon-ceramic brakes and a series of other changes intended to give it a more focused character.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes. Aston Martin DB12 S.
As we've covered previously on FTP, reviews of the DB12 S suggest Aston Martin hasn't simply added a little more power and another letter to either side behind the front wheels. It's a more thoroughly developed version of the Super Tourer.
So why choose the older car? £142,990 provides quite a persuasive answer. This remains a 671bhp Aston Martin capable of 202mph, with the DB12's vastly improved interior and infotainment system, striking looks and the performance that made the original car such an important step forward when it arrived.
It also highlights something that can make the used Aston Martin market so fascinating. The arrival of a newer and more desirable derivative can inevitably place pressure on values of the model immediately below it, but that doesn't suddenly make the original car any less capable.
The DB12 S is the car we'd expect to choose if money were no object and the objective was simply to have the most developed version. But at £142,990, this two-year-old DB12 asks a rather different question: just how much of the S experience do you actually need?
For somebody who wants a modern Aston Martin to use as a genuine grand tourer rather than chase the final degree of performance on a favourite road, the original DB12 suddenly begins to make an increasingly convincing case for itself.
So, has the DB12 S made the original DB12 a bargain? Perhaps we're not quite ready to use the word 'bargain' for a £142,990 Aston Martin, but viewed against what came before it and what now sits above it, this particular DB12 certainly looks a lot of car for the money. After Auto Express included the DB12 among its ten favourite Aston Martins of all time, perhaps the timing of this week's Car of the Week couldn't have been better.
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FTP UPDATE
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. Blackthorn Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Giving it some! Michelin Le Mans Cup, Silverstone, September 2026.
It's been one of those weeks when I've found myself thinking almost as much about what happened last weekend as what's coming next! I've already talked quite a bit in this Roundup about our two days with Blackthorn Racing at Silverstone, but the experience went considerably beyond simply being given access to film a racing car. For a complete race weekend, I was able to step inside the working environment of a professional race team and watch how everything fits together.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. Blackthorn Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Michelin Le Mans Cup, Silverstone, September 2026.
There are the obvious moments: the car leaving the garage, qualifying, the pit stops and the driver change.
What fascinated me just as much were all the things happening around them. The conversations between the drivers and engineers, the briefings before they went anywhere near the circuit, the debriefs when they returned, the decisions being made as the weather changed and the mechanics quietly preparing the car for whatever came next.
From the outside, we tend to experience motorsport through lap times, positions and results. Spend some time inside a team and you begin to appreciate just how many people, conversations and decisions sit behind every one of those numbers.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. Blackthorn Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Michelin Le Mans Cup, Silverstone, September 2026.
It also presented an interesting challenge for me personally. I wanted to capture enough to show you what being inside Blackthorn Racing actually feels like without constantly getting in the way of people who had a considerably more important job to do! That meant sometimes standing back and watching, sometimes recognising when it was appropriate to ask a question and, at other times, simply keeping the camera rolling and allowing events to unfold.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. Dave & Claude planning during the race, Michelin Le Mans Cup, Silverstone, September 2026.
That's really what I hope the footage eventually conveys. This isn't simply about watching an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo racing around Silverstone. It's about the people behind it: how they prepare, what they discuss, how decisions are made and how a race weekend looks and feels from inside the team.
As you've probably gathered, we've filmed rather a lot. The next stage is getting it in front of you. Race championships understandably have strict licensing rules governing the footage recorded around their events, so FTP and Blackthorn Racing are currently working through those requirements with the Michelin Le Mans Cup and the relevant race organisers before releasing the longer films.
Hopefully the 2-minute 42 second film you've seen earlier in this Roundup gives you a small taste of what could follow. If everything is resolved as we hope, there will actually be two different films from Silverstone.
The first will appear on the Fuel the Passion YouTube channel. That will tell the weekend from the FTP perspective, with me appearing on camera at various points to take you through what's happening and share what I experienced as the weekend unfolded.
I'm also producing a separate film for the Blackthorn Racing YouTube channel. I won't appear in that one. Instead, the focus will remain entirely on Blackthorn: the team members, their preparation, the conversations and decisions taking place behind the scenes, Claude Bovet and Tom Canning, and, of course, plenty of footage of that wonderful #91 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo in its Écurie Écosse and Blackthorn Racing colours.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes. Blackthorn Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Michelin Le Mans Cup, Silverstone, September 2026.
I appreciate beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I'm going to allow myself one completely subjective FTP opinion here:
Hopefully we'll be able to bring you both films before too long. We need to work through the licensing properly first, rather than rush something out that shouldn't be released, but we'll keep you posted as soon as we know more.
As you read this on Sunday morning, though, the cameras are coming out again.
I'm spending today at the Goodwood Revival, and there's another Blackthorn connection to look forward to. Blackthorn Racing's Julien Draper is swapping his Commercial Director role for a crash helmet and racing the #129 1966 Attila-Chevrolet MkIII in the Whitsun Trophy.
It's quite a machine, and quite a race. The Whitsun Trophy brings together some of the fastest sports-racing prototypes of the 1960s, with cars such as Ford GT40s, Lola T70s and McLaren-Chevrolets competing around Goodwood. Julien's 25-minute race is scheduled to begin at 12:20 today, and I'll hopefully be there with the cameras running.
Image © Fuel the Passion. A scene from Goodwood Revival 2025.
The plan is to capture enough of Julien's Goodwood weekend to produce a short film for the Blackthorn Racing YouTube channel. So, just over a week after being inside the team at Silverstone, FTP's collaboration with Blackthorn is hopefully already moving on to its next little story.
I'll tell you how we got on in next week's Roundup.
Finally, I know I've already said it elsewhere in this issue, but it deserves saying again. Thank you to Claude, Julien, Tom and everyone at Blackthorn Racing for the welcome, the access and, above all, the trust you've shown Fuel the Passion. I came away from Silverstone with an enormous amount of footage, but more importantly, a much better understanding of the people behind the racing. Hopefully, before too long, we'll be able to share much more of that experience with you.
For now, though, the cameras are packed once again and another great weekend is already unfolding. Before we disappear into Goodwood for the day, it's time to bring Issue 42 to a close and reflect on what’s been a particularly memorable week for Fuel the Passion.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Looking back across this week's Roundup, there's an extraordinary amount of technology running through it. Adrian Newey is still developing the AMR26 while thinking ahead to 2027, Aston Martin is exploring how artificial intelligence can sit alongside the traditional instincts of an F1 designer, Honda is working relentlessly on its new power unit, and somewhere in Indonesia there's a Valhalla using carbon fibre almost as much for art as engineering. Yet the thing I'll probably remember most about this particular week has very little to do with numbers, lap times or technology.
Image © Fuel the Passion. Inside the Blackthorn Racing Team, Silverstone, September 2026.
That's perhaps one of the great pleasures of doing Fuel the Passion. We can spend hours discussing horsepower, aerodynamics, values, race results and whether a DB12 has suddenly become remarkably tempting, but every so often we're given an opportunity to get a little closer to the people behind the cars. Those are often the stories that stay with you.
This weekend provides another reminder of that. While you're reading this, I'll be heading into Goodwood for a day surrounded by cars and racing from a very different era. Somewhere amongst them will be Julien Draper preparing to race a 60-year-old Attila-Chevrolet, just over a week after I was filming him as part of the Blackthorn team at Silverstone. Modern GT3 racing one weekend, historic sports prototypes the next. I suspect that's precisely the sort of variety that keeps so many of us fascinated by this world.
There will undoubtedly be plenty more to talk about when we return next Sunday. For now, though, thank you as always for spending some of your weekend with Fuel the Passion, for reading, commenting and continuing to share your own thoughts and experiences with us.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and all of next week, wherever it takes you, and we'll see you back here next Sunday. See you on the next one!👆 💚💛
Kind regards,
Dan
3 Questions From This Week
We'd love to hear your thoughts. You can answer any of the questions above, or simply leave a comment about something else that's caught your attention in this week's Roundup. As always, the conversation doesn't have to stop there either – if there's anything else happening in the Aston Martin world you'd like to discuss, we'd be very pleased to hear from you.
