Reflecting on the Silverstone squad’s new wind tunnel, Aston Martin workforce boss Andy Cowell insists that the brand new facility “has opened our eyes to some traits”.
For the 2025 F1 season, Aston Martin retained Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll as their drivers for the third consecutive yr. Following a troublesome season final yr, the workforce elected to switch Mike Krack with Andy Cowell, who now fulfil the function of workforce principal alongside his obligations as CEO.
After Aston Martin secured the providers of former Pink Bull star designer Adrian Newey as technical associate, the British engineer has began engaged on the workforce’s 2026 all-new F1 machine in the beginning of April.
The Silverstone-based outfit has endured a troublesome begin to its season to this point in 2025, having struggled for tempo on all types of circuits. Stroll scored a complete of ten factors courtesy of his sixth and ninth-place end on the opening two rounds in Melbourne and Shanghai. Nevertheless, his team-mate Alonso is but to attain factors in 2025.
Following a rollercoaster begin to their season, Aston Martin‘s workforce boss Andy Cowell conceded that the Silverstone-based outfit just isn’t delighted with the efficiency of its automobile, and the British workforce wish to gather factors “at each single race”.
“I assume we’re not proud of the efficiency of the automobile. We might prefer it to be faster. We might wish to be selecting up factors at each single race. The workforce’s very formidable. However, you recognize, it’s a fancy enterprise – plenty of interacting techniques from tyres to aero and others. Getting on high of all of that’s exceptionally difficult.
“If you have a look at the lap time distinction throughout all of the groups, it’s extremely shut. So there are advantageous margins. Getting the tyres in precisely the suitable window and taking care of them on each axles round a lap in qualifying is one factor, however then managing that in a race is exceptionally tough.
“And on the planet of aerodynamics – at our campus, you recognize, CFD, wind tunnel, however then you definately construct a full-size automobile and put it on monitor, making an attempt to know precisely what the load is on each axles round a circuit like Bahrain, which is exceptionally tough, versus a high-speed smoother circuit like this, the aero response is completely different. You try to measure that, however you’re measuring it in a much less exact method than you’re in a wind tunnel.
“Piecing all these bits collectively – as Fred says – it’s outstanding how shut all of the automobiles are, given the completely different teams of aerodynamicists, engineers, administration kinds, instruments, and a distinct group of individuals and drivers. We’re within the final yr of those laws, and it is exceptionally shut.
“We’re a comparatively younger workforce making an attempt to dial in new instruments and making an attempt to know it and never simply making an attempt to outlive however to actually succeed. There are various areas the place, if we might return to the beginning of the yr with the identical automobile, we might do higher at each occasion.
“That provides us hope. There are comparatively straightforward issues we are able to do to maneuver ahead, however some exceptionally sophisticated issues we’ve received grasp as properly.”
Foundations for the long run. pic.twitter.com/8p5IOZ2ji0
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Workforce (@AstonMartinF1) April 24, 2025
Aston Martin‘s wind tunnel was accomplished in January 2025, and it turned operational two months later. Requested when Aston Martin are going to begin to see the primary fruits of their new wind tunnel, Cowell mentioned the engineers perform work of their new facility for each their present and their subsequent yr’s automobile.
“Because the Melbourne weekend, the wind tunnel’s been in use. It’s getting used for each 2026 aero improvement and 2025 aero improvement. We’ve transitioned to this tunnel, and there’s {hardware} coming by that we’ll see on the circuit within the coming races.
“Folks usually speak about learn how to inform the time once you’ve received two watches – how do you inform the aero load when improvement work has been carried out in a single wind tunnel and then you definately swap throughout to the following?
“They’ll by no means inform you precisely the identical. However we’re having fun with the brand new wind tunnel. It is opened our eyes to some traits. However then you definately’ve received to do the work.
“For those who’ve received a brand new check facility that offers you a clearer view, a extra consultant view, you’ve received to then do aero improvement work – you’ve go to alter shapes, make components, perceive, after which make full-size parts to convey to the circuit and measure on this complicated atmosphere. We’re in that course of, having fun with the brand new instrument, and stay up for making a quicker race automobile with it,” concluded Cowell.
