Aston Martin’s new simulator facilities have been declared as “even better than McLaren’s”, according to the team’s new simulator driver.

Lawrence Stroll’s continued investment into Aston Martin’s facilities has included a new wind tunnel and driver’s simulator at the Silverstone campus.

Dani Juncadella brands Aston Martin simulator ‘incredible’

The extensive rebuild and refresh of Aston Martin‘s F1 factory at its technology campus near Silverstone has seen a brand-new, state-of-the-art simulator installed.

Simulators are used by the F1 teams to allow their drivers to stay sharp through practice, while also reproducing driving conditions at any given track under a variety or variables, such as weather conditions, setup changes, or the impact of upgraded parts.

The ability to accurately reproduce real-life conditions in the simulator can be incredibly valuable for a team, particularly with real-life F1 track testing now non-existent – meaning the accuracy and capabilities of the simulator can make a huge difference to a team’s real-life competitiveness.

Aston Martin recently signed Dani Juncadella as a simulator driver, reuniting the Spaniard with the team with whom he was once a test driver, then known as Force India.

Juncadelle was on hand for work over the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, in a bid to help Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll fettle the setups of the AMR24, with an eye towards looking ahead to F1 2025 as Aston Martin seeks to start reaping the rewards of the significant investments.

Speaking to Spanish publication SoyMotor, Juncadella shared his impression of the new Aston Martin simulator.

“I’ve used it. It’s incredible,’ he said.

“What we had until now at Aston Martin was quite precarious in the sense that it wasn’t at the level of the other teams,” he said, having spent plenty of time on the old sim while with Force India.

Juncadella, who also has experience with the McLaren simulator, revealed that, in his opinion, Aston Martin’s equipment is capable of more than the Woking-based squad’s.

“What is there now is something you can work on. I can assure you that it’s better than McLaren’s,” he summed up.

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While Aston Martin’s performance slumped in F1 2024 after the highs of ’23, the pieces are in place for the future with high-profile signings like Enrico Cardile and Adrian Newey starting work at the Aston Martin technology campus – ready and eager to start making the most of the team’s brand-new equipment.

As a result, team boss Mike Krack said that the mood in the camp is very optimistic for the future, despite the struggles of ’24.

“We are realistic,” he said.

“We know, or let’s say we are not trying to hide the facts where we are with the car, with the performance, and then it’s a matter of communicating this appropriately.

“Formula 1 teams always try to get the maximum of what they have, whatever it is, and there is nobody that is down on this. It’s reality. Last year it was much easier to get more points at once. Now it is very, very difficult to get small points. But that’s the reality and that is something that we have to accept and do the maximum with it.

“But to be honest, there have not been many frustrations. You have to put these things behind and look forward all the time, because if you dwell too much on the past, then you become frustrated.”

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