Aston Martin pins hopes on new wind tunnel: 'Will be ready by the end of 2024'

Red Bull Content Pool

General

23 August 2023 at 09:19
  • GPblog.com

Aston Martin has proved this year that taking a very big leap forward is possible. It is a first step towards achieving the ultimate end goal: becoming world champion. The British racing stable is well on its way, but it does not yet have its own wind tunnel. It will have one from 2025 and expectations are high.

Having its own wind tunnel is a big advantage. Currently, the wind tunnel is leased from Mercedes. "The most important tool is still missing, which is the wind tunnel. It is an essential tool that is almost ready, but I think really means new future of Aston Martin. It will be ready by the end of 2024," Pedro de la Rosa told True Driver.

So from 2025, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll 's team can really start reaping the benefits of the new wind tunnel. A year later, it will run with Honda engines, making Aston Martin an independent factory team from 2026. The new factory, which cost more than $200 million, was already opened in July, so the team seems to have all the facilities in place to (continue to) grow.

Wind tunnel very important

According to former Formula One driver De la Rosa, involved with Aston Martin as an ambassador, the wind tunnel is "the most important thing for an F1 car". "It gives you the downforce, the efficiency, the drag..." Technical director Dan Fallows further states about the new wind tunnel: "It gives us a lot of scope for development programmes that we didn't have before. After all, it is more practical to move parts to the other side of your factory than to take parts apart and bring them to another wind tunnel."