Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin became something of an afterthought by the end of 2024, with the Silverstone team’s mid-season development falling short once again.
Upgrades to the AMR24 in Imola, not for the first time, were counterproductive. They relegated Aston from a consistent top 5 team (occasionally capable of troubling the likes McLaren and Mercedes) into the clutches of the midfield.
After another year of ineffective development has catalysed a series of big changes at Aston Martin, who aim to rebound with their 2025 challenger.
Alonso reveals drastic chances for 2025 Aston Martin car
Adrian Newey grabbed all the headlines, but he was not the only key figures to join Aston Martin’s ranks last year.
Andy Cowell and Enrico Cardile were other high-profile engineers to join Lawrence Stroll’s team.
Cardile, formerly Technical Director at Ferrari, will be central role to Aston Martin reversing their downward development trend.
He will also work in conjunction with Adrian Newey on the team’s 2026 car – which is obviously a crucial juncture for the Silverstone operation.
READ MORE: Sainz reveals high expectations for 2026 Mercedes engine
However, Andy Cowell, who was Managing Director of Mercedes Powertrains for over a decade, has already enforced big changes.
Cowell arrived at CEO about four months ago, spending his first few weeks assessing the team’s strengths and weaknesses.
The 56-year-old then implemented a series of sweeping changes to Aston’s technical hierarchy, including putting himself into the position of team principal.
Cowell understands what a Championship-winning team looks like, having played a crucial role to Mercedes and their reign of dominance.
With that said, the impact of his internal restructuring will not be fully felt until 2026 and beyond.
For their 2025 challenger, addressing past mistakes is the priority, as Fernando Alonso explains:
“We have to be careful,” Marca quotes him as saying.
“Because last year we suffered a bit, especially at the end of the season.
“It has only been 3-4 months since Abu Dhabi, when we were in some difficulties.
“We have done everything we can and have changed many things in the car. We’ve changed 90-95% of the aerodynamics and aesthetics of the car.
“I hope the results improve, but we know that everyone works hard during the winter, and it will be very close…
“So we have to be cautious with our decisions.”
Damage limitation before 2026
In retrospect, the decline Aston Martin experienced in 2023 will be even tougher for the team to swallow.
Had the Silverstone team made even modest progress between 2023 and 2024, they could have had a chance to capitalise on a stagnant Red Bull.
Instead, the British outfit were struggling to outperform the likes of Alpine and Haas at the end of last year.
Aston Martin must use their past inefficiencies and correlation issues as motivation for 2026.
Over the coming weeks, the team will put the finishing touches into calibrating their new simulator and wind tunnel.
This process will be essential for their 2026 development. Focus on the new regulations will undoubtedly pick up speed once Adrian Newey begins work in March.
There are many uncertainties for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin in the coming months, but none of them will excuse another season of missed targets when the new regulations arrive.
