Aston Martin between development and uncertainties in this late 2025 season
In any Formula 1 season, it is normal for teams to introduce numerous updates in an effort to improve on-track performance, and this is exactly what Mercedes has been doing. Despite 2025 being the final year of the current regulatory cycle, meaning the team has little chance of challenging for the championship lead, Mercedes continues to develop its car and its components. Beyond supplying engines to other teams, Mercedes also provides key parts such as suspension systems and gearboxes. The German outfit, led by the experienced team principal Toto Wolff, equipped the W16 with a new rear suspension specification, while Aston Martin chose to continue using the previous specification for their cars.
The team owned by Lawrence Stroll has been struggling with significant performance issues over the past few seasons. During the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, Aston Martin cars qualified at the back of the grid, highlighting deep-rooted problems within the team. A small glimmer of hope came during the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the team showed stronger performance. One question now is whether adopting Mercedes’ new rear suspension specification could help Aston Martin regain competitiveness.
Andy Cowell, team principal of Aston Martin, confirmed that the team is evaluating several options to make meaningful progress in performance.
Mercedes suspension updates from Imola to Monaco and Barcelona
Mercedes first introduced the new rear suspension specification at Imola, but it was replaced for the Monaco and Spanish Grand Prix weekends. In Canada, the updated version returned, and George Russell immediately won, although it remains unclear how much of this success was directly attributable to the new suspension. After multiple races in which both Aston Martin drivers—particularly Kimi Räikkönen—experienced issues with car balance and overall feel, the Belgian Grand Prix saw the team revert to the previous configuration. However, given Aston Martin’s current performance struggles, any additional advantage from component updates could prove crucial.
As a Mercedes customer team, Aston Martin could theoretically switch to new components even mid-season, offering flexibility in their development strategy.
“We are evaluating the situation and studying the possibilities offered by the components supplied by Mercedes and what we want to do,” explained Andy Cowell. “It’s also about assessing how much effort we want to dedicate this year to modifications, instead of simply continuing with what we already have.”
Fine-tuning versus completely new components
Currently, Aston Martin sits sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, a position largely achieved thanks to strong results at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the team finished P5 and P7. However, it remains to be seen whether this performance reflects the car’s capabilities across other circuits. The challenge with introducing a new rear suspension is that Aston Martin would first need to fully understand it in order to exploit its potential, a process that could take several races.
“We tend to focus on fine-tuning and optimizing what we already know rather than making additional changes,” Cowell noted. The effectiveness of a new rear suspension is therefore uncertain. Moreover, with only ten races remaining in the 2025 season, there is limited time to adapt to new components.
By the time the team fully understands the new suspension, the season may already be nearly over. Looking ahead to 2026, this approach offers little advantage, as Aston Martin will become a factory-supported Honda team with the start of the new regulatory cycle. Any performance gains from late 2025 updates are unlikely to carry over, making long-term planning for 2026 even more critical.
For Aston Martin, the final races of 2025 will therefore be a balance between maximizing current performance through incremental improvements and preparing for the transition to a Honda-powered car next season. How effectively the team navigates this delicate period could have a significant impact on both driver confidence and their competitiveness at the start of the 2026 campaign.
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