Lawrence Stroll’s team is in a phase of major expansion, and after recent technical acquisitions, it’s aiming high. The latest addition is Adrian Newey, who chose the Silverstone-based team as the next step in his F1 career. His input will be crucial, and Aston Martin has begun initial tests in the new wind tunnel to develop the AMR25.
Next season in F1 will be vital for many teams, as they will need to work on two fronts: 2025 and 2026, the year of revolution. After several months of waiting and work at the new headquarters, Aston Martin has started testing operations in the new wind tunnel.
After the summer break, most teams have focused on developing the final parts for 2024. However, the majority of ATR is being dedicated to the development of the upcoming cars. This is because a long development process is necessary, especially for Aston Martin, which is beginning to use the new wind tunnel. Ready in September with the last pieces recently installed, the team led by Mike Krack has started the first calibration tests of the new equipment.
The task is quite delicate, as Aston Martin does not want to repeat the errors seen with the AMR24, where the track data and wind tunnel results did not match. Therefore, great attention is being given to the first comparison tests between the data from the track and Mercedes’ wind tunnel.
The Aston Martin AMR25 takes shape
Tom McCullough, Aston Martin’s performance director, confirmed the start of testing for the new AMR25. Mechanical components such as the chassis and suspension began testing on dynamic rigs a few days ago, which is crucial for optimizing the vehicle’s platform.
“We are in the delivery phase in the wind tunnel and CFD. At this time of year, we focus on the most important technical aspects that could be different for next year’s car,” explains Tom McCullough. “That’s when the wind tunnel development approach intensifies. Many decisions are made about the car’s entire design, vehicle dynamics, and suspension,” he adds.
The initial tests will involve an embryonic version of the AMR25, the car for the 2025 Formula 1 campaign, based on the AMR24 but with some modifications. In the coming weeks, the first developments from new ideas will begin to emerge. This development is crucial, especially for Aston Martin, which in the last two years has struggled to keep pace with other teams’ in-season updates.
Mistakes not to be repeated
Aston Martin’s engineers will need to understand what held back the AMR24 and avoid repeating those mistakes with the AMR25. The key to this will be the precise calibration of the new wind tunnel, with the 2025 car being the first “guest” of the measurement chamber.
“There’s still a lot that can be done on next year’s car. We need to understand the limits of this year’s car and try to solve as many issues as possible, whether they are mechanical, aerodynamic, or something else. This is the real key phase. Next year’s cars will still be quite different from the 2024 ones. They will be evolutions of [this year’s cars], but everyone is trying to make big steps forward,” concludes Tom McCullough.
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