Mercedes introduced a brand-new rear suspension system on its W16 cars at the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, at the end of May. Initially, the team had to wait several weeks for the updated component to be fully integrated and deliver consistent performance. However, once dialed in, the new suspension began to pay off. It played a key role in improving tire management and helped Mercedes secure a strong double podium finish—including a race victory—at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. These results have now caught the attention of Aston Martin, which is seriously evaluating the possibility of adopting the same rear suspension design for the final stretch of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The AMR25, Aston Martin’s current challenger, has not lived up to expectations. Although it shares several components with the Mercedes W16 cars driven by George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the Aston Martin machine has struggled to match its rivals’ pace and consistency. Nevertheless, the Silverstone-based team is actively pursuing potential performance upgrades, even though most of its engineering and technical resources are already focused on preparing the 2026 Formula 1 car, which will be developed under the radically new technical regulations.
Aston Martin currently benefits from a technical partnership with Mercedes, which includes the supply of components and power units. This collaboration is set to end after the 2025 season, as the team transitions to Honda power for 2026. Until then, the team still has the option to integrate the updated Mercedes rear suspension—the same component Mercedes has been using consistently since the Canadian Grand Prix.
Evaluations regarding this potential upgrade are underway. Team Principal Andy Cowell confirmed that Aston Martin is in the process of carefully assessing the implications of such a change. However, he emphasized that this will not be a rushed or forced decision. Instead, the team plans to use the remaining weeks before the summer break to carry out the necessary technical reviews and make a well-informed choice.
“We’re currently evaluating the switch to Mercedes’ new rear suspension,” said Cowell. “We’re conducting research to understand what is feasible with the components they provide, and more importantly, what aligns with our development direction and goals.”
Cowell explained that the team must also weigh how much effort it wants to invest in implementing technical changes during the current campaign, as opposed to refining and optimizing the components already available. “It’s usually easier to perfect something you’re already familiar with than to introduce major changes mid-season,” he noted.
Implementing a suspension change partway through a Formula 1 season is no small task. As seen with both Mercedes and, more recently, Ferrari, such a modification can have significant ripple effects throughout the car’s entire setup. Updating the suspension doesn’t just affect mechanical grip—it also necessitates changes in aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics, requiring additional simulation work and updates to wind tunnel models and test protocols.
“Switching suspension mid-season means altering the vehicle’s dynamic behavior and the aerodynamic profile,” Cowell explained. “That involves not only dynamics simulations and driver-in-the-loop simulator sessions but also wind tunnel testing and aero recalibration.”
He added that the process would also involve revalidating the 2025 car model in the wind tunnel to gather fresh data, verifying the supply and installation of the necessary hardware, and finally assessing whether the car’s on-track performance would truly improve as a result. “Only after completing all these steps can we determine whether everything aligns and whether the car will actually be faster,” Cowell stated.
“For now, we expect to reach a clearer decision after the summer break,” he concluded, suggesting that any major changes would only be introduced once the team is confident in the outcome of its technical evaluation. With time ticking before the regulation overhaul in 2026, Aston Martin must decide whether short-term gains are worth the investment—or whether the focus should remain squarely on long-term transformation.
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