The season couldn’t have started any worse for Aston Martin. The British team led by Fernando Alonso is fighting to avoid being the worst car on the grid. It was a difficult start, as expected, although not as disastrous as it could have been, but things could improve in the next three races with the improvements the team will bring. Outwardly, it’s all caution and even pessimism; they don’t want to sell smoke and get burned. But behind closed doors, the mindset is different, and they believe they can take a step forward in the next few races.
Aston Martin’s poor performance
Aston Martin has undergone significant changes in the last year, and this has meant that there has not been the dedication necessary to build a competitive car this season. A change of factory, a change of personnel, a new wind tunnel. Perhaps this last aspect is one of the keys to optimism.
Until March, Aston Martin used the Mercedes wind tunnel, and there are two key points that may explain the poor performance of the AMR25. The first is that the team has used fewer hours in the tunnel than its competitors, with the aim of being able to get the most out of it once it was unveiled—the FIA regulates the hours that the wind tunnel can be used—which has given them a slight disadvantage over their rivals. The second key point is that the data from the Mercedes wind tunnel and the new Aston Martin wind tunnel are completely different. Given that the Aston Martin wind tunnel is the most technologically advanced, the Silverstone team is convinced that it now has the correct data to implement updates that will enable the car to take a step forward.
New updates
The AMR25 will have new parts for the next three races, Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona. These new parts are the first that Fernando Alonso’s car will carry with the new wind tunnel, and the team is confident that they will represent a step forward for the car. Although the messages to the outside world are not very encouraging—which is obvious given the results and knowing that the updates in recent years have made the car worse—the internal message is quite different. It is believed that the car can improve, and a lot. No one believes that the improvement will mean reaching the top of the grid, but it should be able to finish in the points relatively regularly.
The hand of Adrian Newey
Aston Martin is focused on 2026, that is the priority, and Adrian Newey is also 100% focused on that. However, the AMR25 will serve as a test car for next season’s car, and some of the updates will be just that, tests for 2026. In this sense, the legendary engineer’s work will be reflected in this season’s car.
Aston Martin’s message to the outside world is clear: the poor start to the season allows them to focus on 2026, but it is clear that the AMR25 has not been completely abandoned. The results of the next few races are important for the team, as they are a way of confirming that the work for next season is on track. They don’t want to get their fingers burned, but they are convinced that they are at a turning point and that, after things have gone so badly, things can only get better.
There is barely a week and a half to go before we see the Aston Martin with the first improvements. We will have to wait three races to see the real scope of the updates, but expectations are high, although Aston Martin is hiding its optimism.