Andy Cowell downplays Adrian Newey’s concerns about Aston Martin F1’s simulator, stressing correlation issues are common across top Formula 1 teams.
Andy Cowell, CEO of Aston Martin F1, downplayed Adrian Newey’s remarks that the team’s new simulator has a flaw which will take two years to resolve.
Adrian Newey, the team’s technical consultant, described the simulator as “a weakness” and said upgrading the system would “probably be a two-year project.” He explained that the issue lies in the correlation between simulator data and what the team observes under real-world conditions (full details available here).
However, Cowell emphasized that such correlation issues are not uncommon among F1 teams.
“Every time a new piece of equipment is developed, it takes time to bring it online. Then, you have to determine the correlation between the simulator, the wind tunnel, and the real world. So you go through updates, track usage, and check the overall consistency.”
“It’s all about correlation, and even experienced teams face correlation issues. You hear it up and down the pit lane.”
“What’s great about Adrian is that he arrives, tells us what’s excellent, sets the benchmark, and so we need to improve. It’s work we were already doing, but Adrian is simply helping us refine the to-do list.”
Aston Martin’s owner, Lawrence Stroll, has made significant investments in expanding and modernizing the team’s facilities, including the factory, wind tunnel, simulator, and other development tools. Cowell stated that a continuous upgrade program would be implemented.
“Adrian has spent the last two months with us focusing solely on the 2026 car architecture. And I don’t see anyone better in the industry at breaking down a rule set, identifying the key principles, and correctly positioning all the critical elements. So we’re very fortunate.”
“We also know that we need all the simulation tools to refine that and define the overall target. But it will be an ongoing task. I don’t think we’ll ever say our toolset is perfect. There will always be room for improvement.”
“So Adrian said it would take a few years. I think it will be an ongoing task for us, constantly moving forward and improving every tool we have.”
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