Aston Martin F1’s Technical Director, Dan Fallows, reveals the groundbreaking AMR24, featuring all-new chassis, aerodynamics, and suspension systems, poised for the 2024 season.
Interview provided by Aston Martin F1’s Technical Director, Dan Fallows.
The AMR24 has been unveiled. What’s new with our 2024 car?
“The chassis, nose, front wing, floor, and both front and rear suspensions are all brand new. Not one surface remains the same as the AMR23, except for those areas where the design is mandated by the regulations. Nearly everything has been revised,” stated Fallows.
“We’ve adjusted the front wing to better manage the drag from the front wheels. The bodywork has been altered to more effectively manage the airflow around the floor and to exert greater control as it moves towards the rear wing.”
“The floor has also been revised because it’s the most critical area for downforce generation – it’s constantly evolving. We now have a push-rod rear suspension.”
“The front suspension has been updated to work more efficiently with the front wing and floor, and the rear suspension has been altered to accommodate the engine and the latest gearbox from Mercedes.”
“The AMR24 is a strong and exciting evolution from last year’s car. We’ve applied the lessons learned, particularly in the latter part of the 2023 season, to develop a car with a wider operational window and that will provide a solid platform for development over this year.”
Have we met our objectives with the AMR24 over the winter?
“Last year, instead of having a linear development slope throughout the season, we experienced ups and downs, but we ended the season with a car that was a solid benchmark.”
“From the end of the AMR23 to the AMR24, we’ve met our development goal and have taken a step forward with the car. Our competitors will have also made progress over the winter, so it’s all relative, but we believe we are in a much better position this year with the car for ongoing development.”
What have we learned from last year’s car?
“We used the end of the 2023 season as a sort of R&D exercise, to try and better understand what the car was doing and where we might have gone wrong with our mid-season development.”
“At the start of last season, we felt we were weak in high-speed corners, so we put a lot of effort into adding downforce for high-speed cornering, but ultimately, it didn’t make the car much faster because we ended up narrowing the operational window.”
Have we met our objectives with the AMR24 over the winter?
“Last year, instead of having a linear development slope throughout the season, we experienced ups and downs, but we ended the season with a car that was a solid benchmark.”
“From the end of the AMR23 to the AMR24, we’ve met our development goal and have taken a step forward with the car. Our competitors will have also made progress over the winter, so it’s all relative, but we believe we are in a much better position this year with the car for ongoing development.”
What did we learn from last year’s car?
“We used the end of the 2023 season as a kind of R&D exercise, attempting to better understand the car’s behavior and where we might have made mistakes in our mid-season development.”
“At the start of last season, we realized we were lacking in high-speed cornering, so we made significant efforts to increase downforce for those situations. However, ultimately, this didn’t significantly speed up the car as it ended up limiting our operational window.”
“When we ran two different car specifications at last year’s Canadian Grand Prix, we relied on our performance deltas from previous races. Having one car in one specification and another in a different spec offered us a solid opportunity for a direct comparison.”
“We were very aggressive with our development program last year. For instance, we introduced new floors at the Austin weekend, but this year, we plan to be more cautious to avoid introducing significant updates during Sprint weekends, which could potentially lead to confusion.”
What can we expect from the 2024 Formula 1 season?
“From a performance standpoint, all teams are converging towards a similar car concept, meaning the field is getting tighter and also closing the gap to Red Bull. We’re now seeing a scenario where a few tenths can mean five or six places in Q3.”
“It will become increasingly difficult for teams to consistently reach Q3 and score points. The slightest advantage in terms of performance or updates can make a big difference, and driver performance will play an even greater role in outcomes.”
2023 was an intense year for all team members, and the 2024 campaign features a record 24 Grands Prix. Is everyone ready for the upcoming season?
“People were tired as we approached the winter break. As you can imagine, the end of the season was hectic with many departures, back-to-back races, and we worked tirelessly to finish the season strong.”
“The podium in Brazil really helped us. We learned a lot from the updates we brought to Brazil, and getting on the podium was a huge motivation boost as we headed into winter.”
“There’s a lot of positive energy flowing through the AMR campus, and everyone is striving to outperform last year. We are refreshed, rejuvenated, and focused. We’re ready for the next chapter of our journey.”
AMR24 Aston Martin F1. AMR24 Aston Martin F1. 2024 AMR24 Aston Martin F1
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