Aston Martin’s 2025 Performance: Moving in the Right Direction

Aston Martin, a team undergoing significant transformation, showcased promising performances at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix despite missing out on points. The British side, equipped with recent hirings like Adrian Newey and a state-of-the-art campus, brought updates to their AMR25 but failed to secure a point, finishing seventh in the championship.

Aston Martin’s Weekend Performance at Imola

Despite the disappointing result, Aston Martin demonstrated real potential throughout the weekend. Lance Stroll qualified eighth, his best performance of the season so far, while Fernando Alonso placed fifth – his best since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix. The pair seemed destined for a points-scoring finish until a combination of a full safety car and a virtual safety car thwarted their chances.

Team Principal Andy Cowell expressed optimism, stating that the team had brought an update that made the car quicker. He emphasized that before the virtual safety car was deployed, everything was going well.

Alonso’s Perspective on Aston Martin’s Performance

Alonso himself echoed Cowell’s sentiments, expressing his belief that they finally had a “strong car that can score points on merit.” This is a stark contrast to this time last year when Aston Martin seemed to regress after upgrading its AMR24.

The Impact of Aston Martin’s Upgrades

Cowell revealed that the updates brought by Aston Martin are good at low-, medium- and high-speed circuits, marking a positive step forward. He declined to disclose the exact extent of the improvement but promised to reveal more in Abu Dhabi, the season finale.

The team ran Friday’s practice session at Imola with one driver using the old spec AMR25 and the other using the upgraded model. This allowed Aston Martin to directly compare the two under the same track and conditions, revealing that on “every single corner,” the upgraded package was superior.

The launch spec of the AMR25 was finalized in January, while the upgrades left the wind tunnel once the 2025 season began in March. This means these updates are the first parts to be developed with Aston’s new wind tunnel. The data collected at Imola will help calibrate their new tunnel, setting them on the right path for future upgrades.

Aston Martin’s Future Prospects

Despite the disappointment of not scoring points at Imola, the data and learnings Aston Martin gained could prove crucial to their future. As they continue to transform their season and prepare for Formula 1’s new ruleset in 2026, is finally moving in the “right direction.”