Aston Martin reaches a milestone: the inauguration of their new wind tunnel
The Aston Martin team has inaugurated its new ultra-modern wind tunnel at its Silverstone campus, an essential tool for its Formula 1 ambitions. The facility marks a major step in the team's transformation into a fully-fledged factory team, ready to take on the challenges of the 2025 season and beyond. The Force India era seems so long ago.
Five years ago, the Aston Martin team was called Racing Point, rising from the ashes of Force India. This team had few employees and little structure. Now, still located at the heart of the AMR technology campus, Aston Martin’s new wind tunnel represents a strategic investment for the team. A team befitting major structures like Ferrari, Mercedes, or Red Bull. At least, on paper.
This wind tunnel will optimize the development of the AMR25 and the future 2026 single-seater, in compliance with the new technical regulations. This state-of-the-art facility, housed in a 60,580 m³ building, includes additive manufacturing machines and a model building area at 60% scale, thus promoting operational efficiency and rapid development.
A rapidly expanding technology campus
The opening of this wind tunnel completes the AMR technology campus at Silverstone, a state-of-the-art complex designed to house all the team’s infrastructure. This campus, the result of Lawrence Stroll’s ambitions, demonstrates Aston Martin’s desire to position itself among the leaders in Formula 1. Andy Cowell, the team’s director, emphasizes the importance of this facility: “Having everything under one roof is extremely beneficial for us as we work towards becoming a fully operational factory team by 2026.”
Towards new horizons with Honda and Newey
The year 2026 will mark a turning point for Aston Martin, with an exclusive partnership with Honda for the engine supply of its single-seaters. The arrival of Adrian Newey, an expert in aerodynamics, further strengthens the team’s ambitions. Newey will primarily focus on the design of the 2026 car, while the new wind tunnel will also contribute to the development of the AMR25. Andy Cowell also highlights that the facility provides new technology allowing aerodynamicists to observe in greater detail the complex physics of airflow over a single-seater. The future engine collaboration with Honda for the 2026 car is also in the pipeline. The team will switch from a Mercedes engine to a Honda engine, one that Adrian Newey is well acquainted with. We are becoming a factory team that develops the power unit with Honda, Aramco fuel and lubricants, and we are utilizing all the equipment we have at the new facility on the campus. We are trying to figure out how to bring all this together to enable us to take a good step forward.
No doubt that if everything aligns for Aston Martin, with the increasingly intense deployment of infrastructure, the team could be one to watch for the new 2026 regulations.
