It’s an important weekend for Aston Martin. In fact, this weekend and the next two, with a new triple-header of races at Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona, will see the British team debut new parts that will shape the future of the team for the rest of the season. It’s time to step up after a forgettable start to the season. Expectations weren’t high, but the latest news gives cause for optimism, albeit slight, and the AMR25 is expected to perform better.
The hand of Adrian Newey
Few are confident that Aston Martin’s updates will represent a real step forward for the AMR25. This year’s car is battling with Sauber to avoid being the worst team on the grid, they are far from the midfield, and a lot has to change for things to improve.
However, in the last few hours, Adrian Newey has spoken for the first time since he joined the team at the beginning of March, and has confirmed that yes, although his work is focused on 2026, he is collaborating with the team still working on the AMR25 with the aim of taking a step forward this season. The team has been saying all year that the engineer was focused solely on 2026, but this did not make sense. Aston Martin has a lot to test on this year’s car ahead of 2026, it will have parts for next season, and it is important to get data on the track to cross-reference it with the wind tunnel data to know how effective it is, and Adrian Newey is supervising every piece of data.
Updates for Imola
For this weekend, Aston Martin has new updates for the AMR25. The flat floor will be new, the ground effect will also undergo modifications, and a new diffuser will be installed. The question for Aston Martin is whether to incorporate all three updates at once or save one for the Monaco Grand Prix, as radically changing the car could be a problem when it comes to getting the best performance out of the AMR25.
These updates will be key for Aston Martin, as they are a sign of how the factory is working, and their effectiveness is important to know if they are working in the right direction. They hope to improve by 3 to 5 tenths per lap, and given how close the grid is this season, this would be a significant leap forward that could allow Fernando Alonso to get into the fight for points.
Update for Barcelona
The Barcelona Grand Prix, which will close the new F1 triple-header, arrives with a change in regulations for all teams. Aston Martin will debut a front wing that is completely different from the one it has been using until now, and the team hopes to get it right with the new regulations that come into force from today.
Aston Martin is not alone
It should be noted that Aston Martin will not be the only team to update its car. It is common for F1 teams to incorporate new parts into their cars during the first races on European soil. As is often the case in these situations, some teams will get it right, others will get it wrong, so the important thing is that those who get it right do so in a very effective way to make a difference.
Aston Martin faces the first of three decisive weekends of the year. Whatever comes out of the AMR25 updates is what can be expected from here until the end of the season. We will see if Fernando Alonso continues to fight at the back of the grid or if he can get into the points.