It is one of the big unknowns of the weekend, and we will not have any definitive answers until qualifying is over on Saturday, but Aston Martin is already doing its calculations on how the new front wing might affect the different teams. Personally, they are cautious and have set themselves the goal of qualifying in the top ten.
New FIA regulations
The cars for the Spanish Grand Prix have changed, and they have done so because the FIA has implemented the new regulations approved for the start of the season and delayed until now. The controversial flexible wings are no more, and will now be more rigid. This small change could mean significant changes on the grid, and Aston Martin believes that one of the big losers could be McLaren.
McLaren could lose some of its advantage
To date, McLaren has been the strongest team of the season, dominating the Constructors’ Championship with an iron fist and its two drivers leading the Drivers’ Championship. However, in recent races, its dominance has been threatened. The FIA has changed some of its regulations so that certain teams cannot take advantage of loopholes in the rules, with many pointing to McLaren for skirting the rules to gain an advantage. These changes have coincided with the end of their dominance.
But the wing change could hurt them considerably. They have been one of the teams most accused of benefiting from the old rule, and the change in regulations could set them back even further. According to journalist Jorge Peiró, Aston Martin believes that McLaren could lose two tenths of a second per lap starting this weekend. If this reduction is accompanied by improvements from their rivals, their lead could be in serious jeopardy.
Aston Martin performance
The paddock is watching Aston Martin’s progress with interest. They believe that the Silverstone team, with Adrian Newey and the new wind tunnel, could be one of the teams to benefit most from the new regulations. However, the British team is cautious, as usual, and is moving forward with caution. According to Jorge Peiró, the main objective set by Fernando Alonso’s team is to get into Q3. We will see over the weekend if they can improve their times, and if other teams lose out, this could bring them closer to regular points, but for now they are only looking to get into Q3.
Aston Martin’s options
Given how the improvements worked at Imola, where both drivers, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, managed to qualify for Q3, and after the Spaniard did the same in Monaco, there is confidence that a good result can be achieved in Barcelona. The Spanish Grand Prix is better suited to the performance of the AMR25, and although they are cautious in their statements, there is great anticipation to see where the car will finish. Let’s not forget that the team’s goal is to improve, but not for this season, but for 2026. All the improvements that this year’s car may receive are positive aspects for next season with the new regulations.
The second third of the season is underway, and Aston Martin hopes to offer an improvement on the first few races, where it has been fighting neck and neck with Sauber to avoid being the worst team on the grid. The team is cautious on the outside, but behind closed doors, they have high hopes for performance starting this weekend.