Thread by @AstonMartin_FI

#Amus "Alonso bombards us with questions and suggestions. In his 20th season, he's as hot as if he were just starting in Formula 1," says sports director Andy Stevenson amused. "Fernando is a driver who has everything under control from A to Z," enthuses team boss Mike Krack.

#Amus The dependency on Mercedes cannot be permanent either. Aston Martin is only allowed to use the Mercedes wind tunnel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and loses time when recalibrating. Aston Martin has already refrained from using the competitor's simulator and analysis tools

#Amus "We wanted the AMR23 to be better than last year's Red Bull in all areas," says an engineer. Values ​​determined from GPS data were used. "When we actually surpassed those targets, at first we thought we must have made a mistake."

#Amus In 2021, seven Red Bull engineers switched to the green camp, including new technical director Dan Fallows and aerodynamicist Andrew Alessi. Former Mercedes chief aerodynamicist Eric Blandin and other engineers from Brackley also joined.

The move to a new factory is already in full swing. Building number 1 will be ready for occupancy at the end of April. Then almost all engineers will work in an open-plan office the size of a soccer field. The new 360 degree simulator will be assembled at the end of the year.

#Amus The same applies to our own wind tunnel. Technically, Aston Martin is still dependent on Mercedes. Engine, gearbox and rear axle come from Brixworth and Brackley. This restricts the designers' freedom in the rear of the car.

#Amus For many, the racing team from Silverstone is the best landing place for Honda when the new engine formula 2026 arrives. In a cooperation with the Japanese, Aston Martin would no longer be a customer team, but a disguised works team.

Full Article -
auto-motor-und-sport.de/formel-1/aston…