Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing is leading the pack in the Formula 1 World Championship. Aston Martin’s Technical Director, Dan Fallows, believes that Red Bull is not invincible and can be defeated in Formula 1. He emphasizes the importance of having a compliant and adaptable car to achieve this feat.
Red Bull has dominated the competition since the reintroduction of ground effect aero in 2022. They have won 39 out of the last 44 races and secured consecutive championship doubles. Aston Martin, on the other hand, capitalized on their development of a modified version of Red Bull’s downwash concept, emerging as their closest rival in the early races of the previous season.
Although Aston Martin’s performance declined once the European season began, they have adopted an evolutionary approach with their AMR24 charger. As they enter the third season under the current regulations, Fallows expects the competition to catch up with Red Bull’s successful design scheme.
While teams are now focused on making marginal performance improvements, Fallows, a former Red Bull engineer, believes there is still significant untapped potential within the current rules. He acknowledges that it is challenging to have visually distinct cars under the current regulations. However, he finds the convergence in lap times among teams to be more intriguing. This suggests that teams are less likely to make drastic conceptual changes and instead focus on smaller details to find additional performance gains, particularly in areas such as the floor and other components of the car.
Fallows reiterates that Aston Martin is fully committed to the pursuit of beating Red Bull. They view Red Bull as beatable and are dedicated to closing the gap and surpassing them.
Aston Martin has implemented significant changes behind the scenes for the 2024 season in order to avoid a recurrence of their previous struggles. Additionally, they have endeavored to develop a vehicle that can perform well on every type of track, as Fallows believes this is crucial for closing the gap with Red Bull.
While Red Bull is currently the standard for performance, Aston Martin’s focus is on the fastest car overall. Their engineering approach is centered around creating a versatile and competitive vehicle that can excel at any circuit. This is their primary objective.
The aim is to produce a car that is not only capable but also beneficial for the drivers. By achieving this, they will be able to compete at the highest level and ultimately reach the level of Red Bull.
According to the Source motorsportweek.com