High expectations: Here is Aston Martin's star-studded technical line-up
F1 News
- Corwin Kunst
Last year, Aston Martin thought they might have an outside chance for the world title after five podium finishes in six races, but it was too early. This year, the British team have lost ground and are now behind the top teams, but from 2026 onwards, anything is possible again. There will be a set of regulation changes and the team are pushing to be competitive. They do not hide their ambition and they even reinforce it by signing big names. With this star-studded line-up, world titles might well be possible.
Over the years, Aston Martin - formerly Racing Point - have been incredibly good at looking at other teams' staff to sign reinforcements that could add great value to their team.
Dan Fallows was the first really big acquisition brought in mid-2021. Aston Martin's new technical director was not allowed to start immediately, but would start in April the following year. Fallows was in a particularly good position internally at Red Bull Racing as 'Head of Aerodynamics' and so it was also a sign to the outside world: keep us in mind.
Luca Furbato's arrival was announced around the same time as when the team signed the aforementioned Fallows. The 52-year-old Italian may not be as well-known as Fallows or the names to follow, but he has been around Formula 1 for an incredibly long time. He started at McLaren in 2001 and after working for Toro Rosso, Manor and Alfa Romeo/Sauber, he is now at Aston Martin. From the start of the 2022 season, he joined it as 'Engineering Director'.
Just before the end of the 2021 season, Eric Blandin, a valued member of Mercedes, was also enticed into a switch. The Frenchman did have to wait until October 2022 until he could actually start working for the team, but his influence became immediately clear and underlined by the good performance at the 2023 season start. As Deputy Technical Director, Blandin - who was 'Chief Aerodynamicist' at Mercedes - works closely with Fallows.
This was just the beginning
After that, things remained quiet for a while, but in the background there was plenty of talk with experienced engineers. Lawrence Stroll then signed Bob Bell just before the start of the 2024 season opener in Bahrain. The 66-year-old Northern Irishman has spent 36 years at Alpine, but the French team were willing to let him leave. Aston Martin thus brought in an unprecedented amount of experience and an extraordinary amount of technical knowledge. After all, Bell has been around for a while in the premier class of motorsport. He was given the position of 'Technical Executive Director'.
The Aston Martin technical team were thus beginning to take shape, but the current number five in the World Constructors' Championship were not yet finished. Enrico Cardile was also convinced by the project at Silverstone. He left after nearly 20 years working in Maranello to join Aston Martin. A blow for Frederic Vasseur and the Italian team, but a great addition by Aston Martin. The Italian will start working as 'Chief Technical Officer' from 2025 and will thus also be largely responsible for building the new 2026 car.
But it's not just a completely new car that needs to be built for just under a year and a half from now. The new engine regulations will also be introduced and engine guru Andy Cowell was brought in for that purpose. Cowell was in charge of Mercedes' engines at the time of the introduction of the new 2014 regulations and, as a result, helped win several world titles with the Germans. The 55-year-old Briton knows how to interpret new rules the best way and now Aston Martin can start reaping the benefits of that.
Apart from all the names that have been presented and/or welcomed in recent months and years, Tom McCullough is also an engineer, who has been there from the beginning when the team were still called Force India, and has ten years of service behind him. He, as Performance Director, takes care of the big picture. He does that so together with Mike Krack, who succeeded Otmar Szafnauer as team principal in early 2022.
Of course, the latest person to officially join is Adrian Newey. The top British designer will become a Managing Technical Partner in early 2025.
The driver line-up from 2026 onwards
There is enough experience and know-how in house at Aston Martin to build a world title-winning car. However, you also need two fast drivers. Fernando Alonso still has a contract until 2026 and hopes to compete for the world championship at least once more in his career. The big question is whether Lance Stroll - the son of billionaire and team owner Lawrence - will still be in the car by then, although he has a contract. You need two competitive drivers if you want to fight for a world championship. The situation at Red Bull Racing proves that now.
Admittedly, Stroll is not getting outperformed by Alonso at the moment. However, it will be interesting to see what direction Lawrence Stroll wants to take with his team. Your technical team can be so strong, but at the end of the day, the points will have to be scored on the track.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi
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