Forward of the upcoming season, two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso is pinning hopes on the potential of Aston Martin’s new wind tunnel, whereas he additionally expects Adrian Newey to show issues round on the Silverstone-based outfit.
Adrian Newey introduced his departure from Pink Bull on the first of Could. Since then, he has been linked to a number of groups, together with Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes as nicely.
Aston Martin lastly put an finish to the speculations in September, confirming that the British designer will start working on the group’s Silverstone HQ from 1 March 2025 taking on a brand new position as Managing Technical Associate.
Requested to touch upon Aston Martin‘s up-and-down season in 2024, the Oviedo-born racer reckoned that the Silverstone-based group struggled to repeat the spectacular efficiency from the earlier season. Nonetheless, the Spaniard is pinning hopes on the brand new wind tunnel and Newey’s arrival.
“I do not suppose that the expectations have been too excessive. We did a really sturdy marketing campaign in 2023, and folks have been anticipating us to combat for greater issues, or at the very least to be on the degree that we have been originally of this yr. And that is regular. That is Formulation 1, and we need to be there as nicely.
“, we did not succeed, you understand, the second a part of the yr. We’re conscious of that. However we aren’t ashamed of that. , we’re working in the direction of preventing for the championship sooner or later and the second a part of the yr we did not perhaps convey to the circuit what we thought that it was within the pipeline.
“However on the similar time, we now have completed, as you mentioned, a number of the amenities in Silverstone, with constructing two and three of the manufacturing facility, the wind tunnel might be quickly working. And we now have Adrian Newey on board, so. It was not a foul 2024.
Pushed on to disclose how Aston Martin is progressing with its new automobile following the tough marketing campaign in 2024, Alonso mentioned that the brand new machine might be a “utterly new venture.”
“I do not know a lot. I do not know precisely what would be the traits of the automobile. As I mentioned earlier than, all of the learnings that we’re taking into this yr’s, you understand, the struggles, I feel are nicely in place into subsequent yr’s venture.
“So, you understand, all of the issues that we did not succeed this yr, I feel they’re higher for subsequent yr. I do not suppose that the automobile would be the base of 2023. I do not suppose so. I feel it is only a utterly new venture for ‘25 which hopefully delivers higher outcomes than the present automobile. However we’re conscious of additionally the hole with the highest 4 groups. They’re in a bit of bit in one other league.
“So, you understand, I feel there’s quite a lot of work to do, however there’s nonetheless [time] till the primary race and first correct take a look at. So I feel we now have loads of time and we now have the best folks. We now have the best amenities and we now have the great learnings of this yr. So, you understand, I am assured to start out the season sturdy and to have 2025.”
