F1: Aston Martin wind tunnel will be ‘radical’ game-changer

(GMM) There will be a “before and after” for the impressive Aston Martin team, according to team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa.

The former F1 driver, who has also worked alongside fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso at both McLaren and Ferrari, is referring to the construction of a brand-new wind tunnel at the team’s impressive new factory.

“The most important tool is still missing,” de la Rosa, 52, told DAZN.

“The wind tunnel is essential and almost finished, and I think it will be a ‘before and after’ for the future of Aston Martin,” he said.

He said it will be ready in late 2024.

“Right now, our team is renting the Mercedes wind tunnel,” said de la Rosa. “And until we have the new tunnel ready, we will not be able to work in it.

“The wind tunnel is the most important thing for an F1 team,” he explained. “It is what gives you downforce, efficiency, and now we’re in the final phase of building it.”

Dan Fallows, the former top Aerodynamicist at Red Bull who is now technical boss at Silverstone-based Aston Martin, agrees that the new tunnel will be a “radical change” for the team.

“For us, it’s absolutely key to have our own wind tunnel,” he said. “It’s a statement of intent from Aston Martin.

“It shows that we are meeting the deadlines for the future. We hope it will have an impact on the car by 2025.

“It will give us a lot of scope for development programs that we didn’t have before. From a logistical point of view, too. It’s much more practical to move parts to the other side of your factory than to have to keep disassembling them and taking them to another wind tunnel.

“It will be a radical change for the team,” Fallows added.