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 Might. Since then, he has been linked to a number of groups, together with Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes as properly.
Aston Martin lastly put an finish to the speculations in September, confirming that the British designer will start working on the crew’s Silverstone HQ from 1 March 2025 taking over 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 crew 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 robust marketing campaign in 2023, and folks have been anticipating us to battle for greater issues, or a minimum of to be on the degree that we have been initially of this 12 months. And that is regular. That is System 1, and we wish to be there as properly.
“You recognize, we did not succeed, you understand, the second a part of the 12 months. We’re conscious of that. However we aren’t ashamed of that. You recognize, we’re working in the direction of preventing for the championship sooner or later and the second a part of the 12 months we did not perhaps deliver to the circuit what we thought that it was within the pipeline.
“However on the similar time, we’ve got completed, as you mentioned, a few of the amenities in Silverstone, with constructing two and three of the manufacturing facility, the wind tunnel might be quickly working. And we’ve got Adrian Newey on board, so. It was not a nasty 2024.
Pushed on to disclose how Aston Martin is progressing with its new automotive following the troublesome 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 automotive. As I mentioned earlier than, all of the learnings that we’re taking into this 12 months’s, you understand, the struggles, I believe are properly in place into subsequent 12 months’s venture.
“So, you understand, all of the issues that we did not succeed this 12 months, I believe they’re higher for subsequent 12 months. I do not suppose that the automotive would be the base of 2023. I do not suppose so. I believe it is only a utterly new venture for ‘25 which hopefully delivers higher outcomes than the present automotive. 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 believe there’s lots of work to do, however there’s nonetheless [time] till the primary race and first correct check. So I believe we’ve got loads of time and we’ve got the appropriate individuals. We’ve got the appropriate amenities and we’ve got the nice learnings of this 12 months. So, you understand, I am assured to begin the season robust and to have a very good 2025.”
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