FIA : Aston Martin aerodynamic upgrades are compliant

The FIA says it “considers that the Aston Martin aerodynamic upgrades are compliant”.

Aston Martin has introduced a new-look AMR22 at the Spanish Grand Prix that has striking similarities to the Red Bull’s sidepod concept.

The FIA have cleared Aston Martin to use their updated F1 car after an investigation into the team’s upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Aston Martin revealed a heavy revised car at Barcelona featuring aerodynamic elements that bear an extremely close resemblance to the design of this year’s Red Bull.

The Silverstone-based outfit appears to have drawn inspiration from Red Bull’s solution to the sidepod concept on their 2022 car, which features an aggressive undercut.

On Friday, the FIA revealed it had undertaken a “routine pre-event legality check” of the planned upgrades, but found no wrongdoing.

“Both teams collaborated fully with the FIA in this investigation and provided all the relevant information,” an FIA statement read.

“The investigation, which involved CAD checks and a detailed analysis of the development process adopted by Aston Martin, confirmed that no wrongdoing had been committed, and therefore the FIA considers that the Aston Martin aerodynamic upgrades are compliant.

“Article 17.3 specifically defines and prohibits “Reverse Engineering”, i.e. the digital process of converting photographs (or other data) to CAD models, and prohibits IP transfer between teams, but equally, this Article permits car designs getting influenced by those of competitors, as has always been the case in Formula 1.

“In the analysis we carried out we confirmed that the processes followed by Aston Martin were consistent with this Article’s requirements.”

Aston Martin have recruited several personnel from Red Bull, including their former head of aerodynamics, Dan Fallows. Fallows was signed last year but could only begin his new role with Aston Martin in April after a settlement was reached between the two teams.

Red Bull’s copying concerns over F1 rivals

Red Bull said they had “noted the FIA’s statement with interest.”

“However, should any transfer of IP have taken place that would clearly be a breach of regulations and would be a serious concern.”

It is not the first time that Aston Martin have been suspected of copying a rival’s car design, with the then Racing Point squad’s 2020 car dubbed the ‘pink Mercedes’ due to its striking resemblance with the Mercedes W10.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was spotted with a green can of Red Bull on the pitwall during the opening practice session at Barcelona.

FIA : Aston Martin aerodynamic upgrades are compliant FIA : Aston Martin aerodynamic upgrades are compliant

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