The 2024 season has so far been a real roller coaster, with unforeseen ups and downs for the teams compared to last season.
For Aston Martin, it is a season that has brought more questions than answers.
Aston Martin had a disappointing start to the season (25 problems for the team in the first 3 races). In an attempt to set things right, its engineers brought their first major update (probably the biggest of this season) to Japan.
In addition to the visual adjustments to the geometry of the sidepods, the main component of this package involved the adjustments under the car and on the edges of the floor.
The redesigned sidepods were intended to create a more effective downdraft over the more sensitive edge of the sidepods. In theory, more downdraft increases the speed of the air which then reaches the rear of the car.
Faster air means lower pressure, which especially helps to merge the airflow well under the floor and above the diffuser, expanding the efficiency of the floor.
As we know, in the current era of Formula 1, this is one of the main responsibilities of team engineers, as the car’s terrain is potentially the toughest weapon for performance.
However, the adjustments made to the car in Japan were intended to be the most crucial, at least in theory, because this package did produce the expected result.
Interestingly, Aston Martin is the team that has made the biggest step forward since Suzuka 2023, but that’s more down to its functionality last year than any improvements.
The changes were also visible on the edges of the floor, which was to be expected since adjustments of this type are accompanied by adjustments in the underbody.
However, poor effects persist and the solution to the challenge is not yet clearly visible. It turns out that Aston Martin’s engineers didn’t fully perceive the reaction of new innovations on the track, leading to a further drop in performance.
After Japan, a difficult era followed in which Aston Martin needed seven races to score a total of 25 points.
The only smart race for the team in Canada, where Alonso finished sixth and Stroll seventh. They had not experienced such negative effects since the beginning of the 2022 season, when their team was completely different.
Meanwhile, engineers are still primarily working on the problem. A new update package arrived in Italy, where the most significant adjustments were visual to the front wing.
The front of the car changed shape and, with small adjustments made to the foreground of the front fender, the space between the first element and the moment was particularly reduced.
There is also a new opening, probably used for pilot cooling. An attractive detail of this is the new V shape in the last two elements of the front wing. It turns out that Aston Martin has tried to create vortex turbines in those places while respecting the rules. The possible vortex would later help channel dirty air from the front tires.
The endplate has also been modified, now having a loose rear edge without any flaps attached, creating a vortex generator with the same function.
The front wing is an aerodynamic detail and many disorders arise from it. In the case of Mercedes, we saw that small tweaks in this detail were enough to turn the W15 into a completely different car. Unfortunately, Aston Martin failed to do the same.
During the European excursion in the second quarter of the season, the British team is closer to fighting with VCARB than with the leading quartet.
One of the biggest upheavals they faced was the race pace, as they were quite quick on a single lap. The balance of the car was problematic and they struggled to understeer on tracks with longer corners.
The positive aspect was their more sensible speed, which they excelled at. In the race in Canada, the most productive race of the season, this characteristic paid off. Combined with short corners where the car’s poor balance was less noticeable, the British team managed to score valuable points.
However, things have changed drastically in the last two races, as in Belgium they have been the slowest on the straights, where they are quite long. The answer to this behaviour of the cars may lie simply in the latest innovations observed at the Hungaroring. .
Once again, Aston Martin has replaced the floor of the car, hoping that things will improve this time. Already in Hungary we saw that the Silverstone-based team was slow on the straights, which may mean that their improvements were working. Typically, teams that fail to design a strong, powerful vehicle look for more downforce on the rear wing, which affects top drag.
Clearly the engineers don’t have a clear idea of what’s going on with the car, and each new update only brings more questions.
On several occasions, drivers have pointed out that the AMR24 is very complicated to drive because its habit is simply unpredictable. As a result, it is almost always at the limit, resulting in poorer performance.
The challenge they face is very complex and, although it has been a long time since the arrival of the new regulations, some groups are still seeking to understand the concept. Too many technical points want to be perfectly aligned for the floor to be painted effectively.
In the case of Aston Martin, it is very strange that the team, which at one point last season was Red Bull’s biggest rival, is now in this position. Given his form in the last two races, it looks like things are going to get better soon.
The next race is the Dutch Grand Prix, not an easy circuit in terms of automotive balance. Here we have long turns of other types, which are not suitable for Aston Martin due to the existing characteristics of the car.
After that, the next two races will be Monza and Azerbaijan, where the most sensible speed is crucial. Of course, it’s too complicated to wait for how a team will perform, but the facts suggest that it would be a great wonder if Aston Martin were competitive with the most sensible teams.
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