Aston Martin finished exultant in Hungary. They didn’t take any points, but the improvements to the AMR26B worked flawlessly, delivering a giant leap in the standings and, above all, there was data correlation. So Adrian Newey is already thinking about how and when to build on the pillars that have been laid at the Hungaroring.
After the summer break, in Zandvoort, the new Honda engine will arrive, which they are already testing in Hungary this very Wednesday. But Aston Martin also has a schedule of updates ready, courtesy of Adrian Newey, with two red-letter dates: Monza and Baku. There the following aerodynamic improvements will arrive.
Aston Martin will install more upgrades in Monza and Baku
Never had a team left a race so happy without scoring any points. That’s what happened in Hungary with Aston Martin. Their upgrades worked exactly as anticipated, giving them wings to begin a path of evolution that already has the next two milestones for improvement scheduled.
According to Newey, “this has only been a part of the package,” which hints that there are still more upgrades being finalized in Aston Martin’s wind tunnel. And the British guru goes on to set a date for when they will arrive: “We will take more steps in Monza and Baku. That is the first part of our planned improvement,” says Newey.
Recall that Monza is the second race after the summer break, while Baku is the fourth. In other words, a cascade of upgrades is coming for Aston Martin if we consider that in Zandvoort, the first race after the holidays, Honda will introduce its new engine with which they expect to gain straight-line speed.
That is to say, of the next four races, the only one in which Aston Martin will not introduce any upgrade will be Madrid. Newey believes that it is an aerodynamic evolution, because the chassis is the same, the setup is the same and the front suspension is also the same. So there will be movement at Aston Martin.
Aston Martin took a massive step forward in Hungary, rising to sixth best in the tight midfield. Fernando Alonso moved into Q2 and Lance Stroll finished thirteenth in the race, a result that could have been better for Alonso had it not been for a poor strategy. With more straight-line speed, Aston Martin would be right on the cusp of being the fifth team.
Newey warns that “I’ve never liked setting goals”, but hopes have surged after seeing the success of the upgrades at the Hungaroring.
Images | Aston Martin
