“We thought we were in Star Wars”

Installed in its new factory on the Silverstone campus, the Aston Martin team is still far from benefiting from this new infrastructure at full capacity. Among the most important tools still under development are the wind tunnel and the new simulator. Both will be essential to meet the title ambitions displayed by Lawrence Stroll since he launched the project.

In the meantime, the English team is still using the Mercedes wind tunnel at Brackley. A place which serves as a reference but which we must know how to surpass, in addition to taking advantage of the obvious flexibility that will ultimately be offered by the possibility of doing everything on the same site.

“The new simulator and the new wind tunnel can be a game-changer”assures Mike Krack, team director. “The Mercedes wind tunnel we currently use at Brackley is excellent, but having our own wind tunnel on site takes it to another level, especially as it will be more technically advanced and represent a new benchmark.”

“Why is this a game-changer? Because it offers more flexibility. Currently, we have to do our wind tunnel runs one after the other. In the event of a model failure or reliability problem, these are wind tunnel runs lost. The aerodynamic restrictions to which F1 is subject make these runs a rare and precious commodity.

“Having our own wind tunnel will de-stress operations, but also allow our aerodynamicists to be creative. Everything will be very close: the model manufacturing workshop is right next to the wind tunnel. You can stop a run, wait an hour or two until new parts are produced, then go back.”

“Commissioning a wind tunnel is a job for specialists, and we are fortunate to have a passionate team working on it. There are great leaders in this group. They don't get the same attention as pilots, to managers or designers, but they are probably under even greater pressure. They deal with it calmly and lead their teams exceptionally well.

In full growth, Aston Martin will welcome key recruits in a few months for its technical department, following in the footsteps of an obviously eagerly awaited Adrian Newey. However, you will have to be patient to reap the benefits of this brand new wind tunnel.

“We will not start to see the results as soon as the wind tunnel is put into operation”warns Mike Krack. “Like any new tool, you have to learn how to use it correctly. It's not enough to turn it on and instantly get better results or greater correlation.”

“The first objective is to reproduce the consistency and quality that we have in the current wind tunnel. The goal is to be at least as good as that. And in itself, that is not simple, because we are talking about of a wind tunnel that has been developed for more than 20 years. After that, we will have to develop.”

I saw a demo and was blown away. We thought we were in Star Wars.

At the same time, Aston Martin is working on a brand new simulator, a project which is also particularly demanding. “It is also a huge undertaking, with a dedicated team who have put all their experience into this simulator to make it the best in the field”underlines Mike Krack.

“As with the wind tunnel, I chat with everyone to better understand, and the simulator is simply incredible”he adds. “It will allow us to improve loyalty [de reproduction]to improve the entire loop for driver feedback. I saw a demo and was blown away. We thought we were in Star Wars.”

Fifth in the constructors' championship with three Grands Prix at the end of the season, Aston Martin is experiencing a difficult campaign that some may see as a growing pains. For the last year of the regulatory cycle, in 2025, we will have to deal with the decisive preparations for the future generation of single-seaters.

“For next year, the immediate objective is to start the season in a better position than this year and, from what I hope is a solid base, to make the right decisions regarding the continued development of the car “explains Mike Krack. “It will be a special season because the switch to the 2026 car and the new regulations will happen very early. In my opinion, no one will bring anything new to the track after the summer break, unless there is a big fight for the title.”