Adrian Newey given boost as Aston Martin F1 team reaches major milestone

Aston Martin has confirmed that its highly anticipated state-of-the-art wind tunnel is now up and running.

Coinciding with Adrian Newey’s entry into the Formula 1 team following his Red Bull exit, the wind tunnel is already in use for the development of the 2026 car. Confirming the major milestone ahead of the 2025 season-opener in Australia, CEO and team principal Andy Cowell explained in a press release:

“Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the creation of our own wind tunnel facility at the AMRTC. The task of bringing together external partners and new in-house technology working hand in glove to such tight deadlines is impressive.

“The facility provides new technology that enables the aerodynamicists to observe in greater detail the complex flow physics of an F1 car. To have everything here under one roof is extremely beneficial for us as we work towards being a fully operational works team from 2026.”

The launch of the new wind tunnel has been a long time coming for the Silverstone outfit. Speaking back in 2021, owner Lawrence Stroll outlined the countless upgrades he was bringing to the team’s facilities, including the wind tunnel. He commented at the time:

“The campus will house our brand-new wind tunnel – the first time the team has ever had a best-in-class on-site aerodynamic facility – which will significantly increase our capacity to develop and refine our aero performance. For our technical team, it will be a huge and meaningful step forward.”

This is perfectly timed with Newey joining the squad as managing technical partner and shareholder. After nearly two decades with Red Bull Racing, the British aerodynamicist announced his shocking exit ahead of the 2024 Miami Grand Prix. Despite toying with the idea of retirement, Newey ultimately decided to make the move to Aston Martin.

Newey joined the team at the beginning of March 2025 and has already began working on the 2026 car with the new state-of-the-art facilities in place. 

The British team enters the 2025 F1 season with two-time champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The pair will take to the track shortly for the first two practice sessions in Melbourne.