Can a Grand Prix end with a smile even without scoring points? In a competitive category like F1, where everything revolves around results, this question may surprise, but for Aston Martin the Imola round had a meaning far beyond just the result because it was a real test bench for the technical upgrades.
As described in a dedicated analysis, the Silverstone team arrived with substantial updates, not only in the floor area, revised in every section, such as the Venturi channel inlet and the diffuser zone, but also with a new philosophy for the sidepods, aiming for more aerodynamic downforce.
After making the AMR25 more manageable with winter work, addressing handling issues the drivers had often complained about during last season, a certain lack of downforce became evident, which in turn led to a performance shortfall.
A clear decline required a reaction, adding downforce as well as working on other critical areas of the car. The package brought to Imola went in this direction, with the Team Principal giving positive feedback at the end of the weekend, but the upgrades were significant for another reason.
Positive signals from the new package
Although the package was developed in Mercedes’ old wind tunnel in Brackley between late December and early March, these are also the first updates mapped in Aston Martin’s new wind tunnel at Silverstone, which became operational during the first GP weekend of the season.
On one hand, it was essential to evaluate the quality of correlation between track data and the new wind tunnel data— a key element not only for further developing the AMR25 but also to establish solid foundations for the 2026 car, now in development. On the other hand, it was also crucial to understand how effective the new package was, given the difficulties faced in the last 18 months.
“We have made a good step forward [with this package]. The problem we struggled with last year was that we were bringing updates that worked well on fast circuits but got worse on slow ones. What we have done now is bring an upgrade that works well on slow, medium, and fast circuits, so this is a positive step forward,” said TP Andy Cowell.
“The work we did on Friday, running one car with the old spec and one with the new, allowed us to collect data with the same setup, same track and wind conditions, same fuel load, and this showed us that in every single corner the package was better.”
Clearly, no one wants to overstate how big the leap forward is with these latest changes, also because some elements must be considered. Imola features several high- and medium-speed corners where the AMR25 tends to be more effective compared to very slow sections; on the other hand, the track surface is quite bumpy, which does not suit a rather stiff setup.
There is no illusion that this package has completely turned the car around, especially since Williams was faster over race pace, but there are positive signs: “We weren’t as fast as Williams on race pace, for example, but we could have finished ninth and tenth without the VSC. I think that was possible, maybe even a bit more.”
Reasons for the double zero in the race, between incidents and choices
Indeed, despite the performance step forward and a strong qualifying that put both cars in the top 10, no points were scored. This situation is partly linked to Saturday’s choices.
Before the weekend started, Aston was aware that the C6 tires would be too sensitive in qualifying, which led them to sacrifice a set of hards for the race in order to keep two sets of mediums for the qualifying laps, thus prioritizing grid position. This was a reasonable choice considering many teams expected a race with few overtakes and a single stop.
The problem arose when the team switched to a two-stop strategy, pushed by Leclerc’s pit stop. Aston was the last to change tactics and was overtaken by several cars; they also ended up with two sets of mediums instead of hards, putting them at a disadvantage due to incidents.
When the VSC came out for Esteban Ocon’s stop, while other drivers on two-stop strategies could pit for fresh hards, Aston had to stay out as they wouldn’t have been able to complete the remaining distance on the mediums left.
Only towards the end, with the Safety Car, Alonso and Stroll had the chance to make another pit stop but found themselves at the back of the pack. Alonso tried to fight back with several overtakes in the few remaining laps, coming just a few tenths behind Yuki Tsunoda, who kept tenth place.
Clearly, one weekend without points is not a sign of a full turnaround, and there is no total satisfaction with zero points, but Imola represented a crucial test, especially looking to the future, and the first signals from the upgrades are encouraging. Now it’s up to Aston to confirm them, but there are reasons to leave Imola with a slight smile.
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