29/04/2025
NEWS STORY
Aston Martin's new windtunnel has opened the team's eyes in terms of the characteristics of its 2025 contender.
Having previously used Mercedes facility, the Silverstone-based outfit is now able to use its own windtunnel which became operational last month.
Of course, it's early days, but team boss, Andy Cowell insists the investment is paying off.
"We've transitioned to this tunnel, and there's hardware coming through that we'll see at the circuit in the coming races," he says.
Referring to the transition from Mercedes facility to its own, he says: "People often talk about how to tell the time when you've got two watches... how do you tell the aero load when development work has been done in one wind tunnel and then you swap across to the next?
"They'll never tell you exactly the same," he admits, "but we are enjoying the new wind tunnel. It's opened our eyes to a few characteristics.
"Then you've got to do the work," he adds. "If you've got a new test facility that gives you a clearer view, a more representative view, you've got to then do aero development work. You've got to change shapes, make parts, understand, and then make full-size components to bring to the circuit and measure in this complex environment.
"We're in that process, enjoying the new tool, and look forward to making a faster race car with it."
Hopefully, the new facility will start paying its way by helping to improve the team's current contender, which, according to Fernando Alonso, has no pace, despite the fact that he is pushing to the limit and trying various set-ups in a bid to improve performance.
"We're not happy with the performance of the car," admits Cowell. "We'd like it to be quicker, we'd like to be picking up points at every single race. The team's very ambitious.
"But it's a complex business, lots of interacting systems from tyres to aero and others. Getting on top of all of that is exceptionally challenging. When you look at the lap time difference across all the teams, it is incredibly close.
"We're in the last year of these regulations," he continues. "We're a relatively young team trying to dial in new tools and trying to understand it, and not just trying to survive, but to really succeed.
"There are many areas where, if we could go back to the start of the year with the same car, we could do better at every event. That gives us hope. There are relatively easy things we can do to move forward, but some exceptionally complicated things we've got to master as well."