Aston Martin banking on “fast-follower” reputation to aid ’22 progress

Aston Martin

Aston Martin banking on “fast-follower” reputation to aid ’22 progress

Will Aston Martin's reputation aid its progress this year?

Ian Parkes & Sam Hall

Monday 10 January 2022 11:00

Former Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer has revealed the team is banking on its history of being "fast-followers" to adapt to the tricks that may potentially be employed by its rivals in the new era of F1.

As both Force India and Racing Point, the Silverstone-based team, now Aston Martin, developed a reputation for quickly being able to spot and modify to the technologies developed by other teams.

With F1 entering a completely new era of aerodynamic regulations this coming season, it is likely such teams will immediately push the limits with new devices.

Article continues under video

Speaking in December and prior to his departure from the team, Szafnauer told GPFans: “There'll be a lot of scope because the regulations are new.

"There'll be scope to look at the solutions of others and incorporate them into our solutions if they apply. But I'm sure everybody will be doing that as well.

“It'll be a crucial time at the beginning of the year to see what solutions others have employed, what works, what doesn't work, what we should be doing next.

“But the good news is we're in the wind tunnel every week and we run CFD runs every week. We traditionally have been very adept fast followers. When we see something that works, we're very quick to implement it.

“We still have that ability. I remember in the days of the double diffuser, I think there were three teams that came out with a double diffuser at the beginning, and we were the fourth team.

"We were the first to adapt double diffuser thereafter. It's good. F-duct the same. Remember that?

"McLaren came out with it first, and I think we were the second after McLaren to employ an F-duct. If there are those solutions, I'm confident we can quickly get them onto our car.”

When suggested Aston Martin now had the potential to find a trick of its own, Szafnauer added: "Absolutely. As I said, that kind of stuff will be going on amongst all of us in the pit line."