Aston Martin chief reveals 'big changes' ahead of pivotal period

Dan Fallows shares some of his ideas — Photo: © LAT Images

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Aston Martin chief reveals 'big changes' ahead of pivotal period

Aston Martin have embarked on a big shift this year

Cal Gaunt

Sunday 7 January 2024 16:57

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Aston Martin are on the brink of a transformative phase as technical director Dan Fallows unveiled the team's eagerness to launch their in-house wind tunnel later this year.

This marks a monumental shift for the team, moving away from reliance on Mercedes' wind tunnel in Brackley. The strategic move, part of a broader overhaul at Aston Martin's Silverstone headquarters, signifies a commitment to autonomy and innovation.

Fallows anticipates a "big change" that will make a "huge positive difference" as the team steps into a new era, reducing dependency on F1 rival Mercedes and paving the way for a future powered by Honda from 2026.

Aston Martin are anticipating a "huge positive difference" in utilising their own wind tunnel

Aston Martin have moved away from being reliant on Mercedes' Brackley wind tunnel

New era at Aston Martin

With Fallows' seasoned experience from Red Bull's success with a similar in-house facility, Aston Martin are hoping that they're poised for a thrilling journey toward F1 glory," he told Speedcafe.

“Having been in an environment where you have that flexibility [with your own wind tunnel], and then having to share a wind tunnel with somebody else, even though it’s a very good facility, it gives you so much more ability to do research projects around your normal wind tunnel development programme.

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“It’s particularly relevant for understanding the aerodynamics of new cars, so, for example, when we go into the 2026 regulations, with them being very new, it will play an enormous part in that.

Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso will feel the benefit of Aston Martin's facility upgrades

“So it’s very exciting for us because there are a lot of projects that we’d like to be able to do, but we don’t have the time to do them in the (Mercedes) wind tunnel.

“I’ve got R&D departments absolutely champing at the bit to get into this new tunnel. The thing is, are there going to be enough hours in the week to do all these projects?

“Even so, it’ll be a big step forward for us.”