Aston Martin have released the first images of their 2025 Formula 1 car just a few days before it takes to the track in Bahrain for pre-season testing.
It’s the fourth and final car designed for the current ruleset before F1’s regulations change in 2026 and while certain components will be carried over, the majority of next year’s machine is going to look very different.
The pecking order could change completely in the paddock with Mercedes said to have the best engine in what’s anticipated to be a power unit-dominated ruleset.
However, Aston Martin haven’t been shy when it comes to investing in the future of the team.
Lawrence Stroll has made some high-profile signings and invested millions in a new state-of-the-art factory and wind tunnel.
Andy Cowell is highly regarded by everyone in the paddock and has taken over team principal duties, while Enrico Cardile is expected to arrive from Ferrari at some point this year.
However, the name on everybody’s lips is Adrian Newey after he decided to leave Red Bull after nearly 20 years to spearhead Aston Martin’s 2026 car design.
While that’s likely to remain his priority once he begins work at the beginning of March, Peter Windsor – speaking on his YouTube channel – believes that he has a skill that’s not often talked about that could see him making an immediate impact this year.
Newey will be responsible for Aston Martin’s next-generation car and alongside securing exclusive use of Honda’s power units and their new wind tunnel, the Silverstone-based team are regarded as one of the favourites for 2026.
However, their performance towards the end of last year was so poor that Stroll Snr. might call upon Newey straight away to use his experience as a race engineer to aid Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Peter Windsor urges Aston Martin to use Adrian Newey’s race engineer experience
Talking about Newey’s imminent arrival, Windsor said: “I have said several times, have I not, that when people have said, oh, do you think Aston [Martin] will be better in 2025, even though Adrian’s first car won’t be the to the 26 car.
“And I’ve said, well, don’t forget Adrian is basically a very, very good race engineer as well.
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“He’ll do a good job at getting as much as he can out of the ‘25 car. And he can’t really lose, can he?
“Because if it’s not quick, he can always blame the predecessor. And if it is quick, he can say, well, look, you know, just what you needed is a decent setup.”
Aston Martin relying on Fernando Alonso brilliance in 2025 before F1 rule changes take place
Although Aston Martin finished fifth in the constructors’ championship last year, the gap to the teams above them grew significantly over the course of the campaign.
By the end of the season, they had the eighth-fastest car and were regularly battling with Williams, Racing Bulls and even Sauber at times.
However, that didn’t stop Alonso from grinding out back-to-back points finishes in the last two Grand Prix of the year and securing ninth in the driver’s standings.
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Alonso has been a revelation for Aston Martin, with his inherent speed and experience offering a completely new insight to the drivers that have come before him.
Stroll is currently on the longest run without a points finish of every driver on the grid, last finishing in the top 10 in Hungary.
Newey is said to have concerns about Stroll’s ultimate potential, but that’s unlikely to be a conversation he has with his boss – Stroll’s father – while he’s still getting used to his new surroundings.
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