Aston Martin Sets Up F1 Wind Tunnel for Tests

Aston Martin F1 is gearing up its brand-new wind tunnel, targeting full functionality in the next 2-3 months.

This week, Aston Martin F1 achieved a crucial milestone toward its goal of contending for the F1 title by 2026.

Already hosted for just over a year in its state-of-the-art Silverstone factory, the team is now nearing the operational phase of its wind tunnel.

A period now follows during which the wind tunnel is tested and calibrated to ensure it is fully operational. It is expected to be ready for use before the end of this year, concluding the team’s long-standing arrangement with the Mercedes wind tunnel in Brackley.

“The commissioning aims to ensure that the treadmill under the F1 model matches what we want, etc. It may take two or three months to adjust.”

“This will be ideal to start the development of the 2026 car, which is allowed from January 2025. I think the 2025 car will continue to be developed, in the new wind tunnel, but it’s a delicate balance between what resources you allocate for 2026 and what you allocate for 2025.”

“If I’m not mistaken, the last wind tunnel built by an F1 team dates back 20 years, and so there have been many technological changes.”

“I imagine in terms of flow visualization, there are tools available today that did not exist 20 years ago. You could probably take a 20-year-old wind tunnel and modernize it with new technology, but it’s never the same as starting with a brand-new wind tunnel.”

Aston Martin also has another advantage in owning its own wind tunnel compared to renting from Mercedes, as the team now has the flexibility to use it whenever they wish, within the limits allowed by FIA regulations.

“The Mercedes wind tunnel is a good wind tunnel. But it is obviously not located in our factory, and we tend to use it over the weekend, which is not optimal.”