Latest news with #AstonMartinRacing
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Revealed: Aston Martin's F1 issue forcing Fernando Alonso to 'invent' overtakes
In Fernando Alonso's first Formula 1 season with Aston Martin, 2023, he claimed six podiums in the first eight races and was running third in the championship. The pickings have been more barren since then and in the Spanish Grand Prix – the ninth round of 2025 – he picked up his first points of the season. Lance Stroll had scored all of Aston Martin's points until then – a humble 14, drawn from the first two rounds. Advertisement Read Also: Adrian Newey: Lance Stroll is 'much better than people give him credit for' Heads have already rolled in Aston's technical department last season and the AMR25 car has not started the season well, seeming to have a fundamental problem with race pace. Stroll's tendency to qualify poorly and then pick up positions partially masks a trend of the car being slower on Sundays than it is on Saturdays, though the only time this season he qualified inside the top 10 (at Imola) he finished 15th. Alonso, though, has reached Q3 three times and only just got a return in the form of two points (and it would have been one but for Max Verstappen's penalty). A notable feature of the first and last rounds of this latest triple-header has been his tendency to overtake at unconventional points on the track, usually via a sneak attack. Advertisement 'We lacked top speed, so on the straights we were losing a lot,' he said in Barcelona. 'I didn't make a single overtake under DRS. They were all made in Turn 3 on the outside, which is not a normal place to overtake, but we have to invent these kinds of moves. 'Also in Imola I was out of Turn 7 when I made three overtaking [moves] in the last few laps. So we need to solve this situation and start overtaking on the straight with the DRS like everyone [else] does.' Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images via Getty Images 'We need to improve a little bit our straightline speed and also the [tyre] degradation. As I said, Saturdays are quite competitive and Sundays we seem to take a step back. Advertisement 'So happy for today for sure, first points, good Safety Car at the end, good timing and things. But if we go back on Thursday and we redo the weekend, we need to change something on the car to be a little bit more Sunday-biased than Saturday-.' Alonso can be relied upon to highlight his own contributions to a result with the enthusiasm of a carnival barker. But both he and chief trackside officer Mike Krack alluded to the car being under-balanced, with too much understeer. It's common for teams to set up their cars to have an understeer balance at circuits such as Barcelona because the rear axle is the critical one, and some understeer can help protect the rear tyres. But when asked by if the problem was caused by dialling in too much understeer, Alonso's answer was an unequivocal 'no'. Among Aston's challenges last year was that most of the performance upgrades added to the car didn't generate the expected result. While the AMR25 is the product of the previous design leadership, at Imola a new floor and bodywork package represented the first definitive output of the latest regime and the new wind tunnel. Advertisement It was never going to be worth half a second a lap, but CEO and team principal Andy Cowell talked about it in terms of a lab experiment to enable to stress-test its tools and procedures. What's becoming apparent is that the car has a weak front end – i.e. understeery – but it isn't doing a great job of thermally managing its rear tyres either, and at the same time it is relatively drag-inefficient. The combination of slow straightline speed and indifferent tyre management is a killer on Sundays. Lack of aerodynamic efficiency is killing the AMR25 on two fronts: it's slow in a straight line, but the team can't just cut downforce because the car will slide more, making tyre performance worse. 'The difference between the qualifying and the race is quite simple,' said Krack after the Barcelona race. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Advertisement 'In qualifying you put new tyres, new tyres, new tyres, new tyres. You mask a lot of the problems that the cars are having. 'This is not only for our car, this is for all the cars. That is also why you see the small gaps in qualifying. Because all the weaknesses the cars are having are being covered by the new tyres, by the new rubber. 'As soon as the tyres become two laps, three laps, four laps old, the weaknesses become more and more. That is why you see that the cars in the front are just going. That is why the field is spreading so much.' Noticeably, Aston Martin has been 'scrubbing' its race tyre sets – essentially giving them a short run, usually during practice, to put a heat cycle through them. The process of bringing the tyres up to working temperature and then cooling them again changes the visco-elastic properties of the rubber. Advertisement It would be overly simplistic to say this improves grip and life characteristics on a linear scale, but there is a belief it can make the tyres less sensitive to graining and thermal degradation. Peak grip is lower, but the aim is to make the duration of the peak longer. Aston Martin's chief tyre performance engineer Jun Matsuzaki has been regarded as a key asset for many years and has been with the team since its Force India days, when he helped Sergio Perez become a 'tyre whisperer'. Before that he worked for Bridgestone. It was Matsuzaki who first worked out that Pirelli's rear tyres in 2013 could run longer stint lengths when mounted in the opposite direction they were designed to rotate. So it's unlikely that Aston's performance deficit is being caused by not getting the best out of the tyres in terms of trackside operations. It's a question of mechanical and aerodynamic design. Alonso, for one, seems to believe the team now has a handle on the problem: 'I think we know what is happening…' Read Also: F1 Spanish GP analysis: Red Bull forced McLaren to unleash its full potential To read more articles visit our website.
GSM Arena
7 days ago
- Automotive
- GSM Arena
Realme GT 7 Dream Edition unboxing and hands-on
The newly global Realme GT 7 looks quite impressive, but its Dream Edition is the F1 fan's wet dream. Themed after the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team it certainly has one of the most intriguing back designs in recent years! Clad in Aston Martin Racing Green and shipped in a very special box, you might be surprised to find that the Realme GT 7 Dream Edition isn't as expensive as you think. At €900 it's just €100 more than the regular phone, but the Dream Edition comes in a 16/512 GB trim. In India, the Dream Edition is an even better deal at INR 50,000. You get the phone in a solid box (also in Aston Martin Racing Green), complete with a 120W charger, a USB cable, a special racing SIM tool, and a special booklet with information about Aston Martin's racing history and the GT 7's design. You also get a nice Silver Wing phone case with a cutout for the Aston Martin logo on the phone's back panel. The case is made of the same rubber as the regular phone's, but this one has a nicer striped texture on the back to help with grip. With the box out of the way, let's take in the beautiful design of the Realme GT 7 Dream Edition. For one, it's been a while since we've seen a phone in this specific shade of green. Realme says the paint was perfected through five layers and hundreds of calibrations. It's a very pretty color and one that'll surely stand out. Besides the Silver Wing on the back, there are flow lines on the back panel that resemble the shape of the Aston Martin F1 car's. The Aston Martin makeover carries over to the software, where Realme's Android 15 comes in a special Aston Martin UI theme. The phone even has an Aston Martin UI theme The rest of the car, erm, phone, is the same as the Realme GT 7, which is no bad thing. The phone has a massive 7,000mAh battery with rapid 120W charging - zero to 100% takes 40 minutes (though we did it 36!). Under the hood is a Dimensity 9400e with 16 gigabytes of horsepower. Upfront sits a lovely 6.78-inch 1264x2780px LTPO AMOLED display with up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness. The panel is kick-ass with lovely 10-bit visuals. The finishing touch is a solid camera system with 50 MP wide-angle, 50 MP 2x zoom, and 8MP ultrawide shooters. Check out our full review of the Realme GT 7 for the full details! Realme GT 7 5G
Auto Blog
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
What It's Like to Pilot the New 2026 Aston Martin Roadster
This is the first time I've driven such a compelling, well executed, delightful roadster – but it's not perfect. Still, the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is epic. A special moment in time The Aston Martin Vantage was recently completely reimagined with a ton of upgrades, including a much more powerful powertrain. The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is now getting the same treatment, which has been transformative for the model, rapidly taking it from so-so to extraordinary. Aston Martin Vantage Roadster 0:08 / 0:09 Audi A5 replaces A4: So, what's changed? Watch More Aston Martin has built world-class roadsters for over three-quarters of a century. In that time, they managed to build beautiful performance machines that often sat in a unique category. What I mean is that they were neither fish nor fowl—they were elegant performance machines or luxury sports cars. In recent years, Aston Martin has become far more serious about high performance, not only with its passenger vehicles but also with its racing portfolio. They have aggressive campaigns in Formula One and Le Mans, to name a few, with a 'go-fast' philosophy that has trickled down to its passenger vehicles. If you look at the Aston Martin Valkyrie or Valhalla, you'll most likely agree with me. If you were to follow that perspective down their lineup, you'll see where a lot of the passion has pollinated the Vantage Roadster's character. Despite is painfully good looking design and luxurious image, it is still a serious performance machine. Form and function work together like no other vehicle I've driven. The end result is sheer magic. What is the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster? This new drop-top version of the recently redesigned Vantage coupe gets the same 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo that makes 656 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque through a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. That's over 150 horsepower more than the previous model. According to the automaker, it can run from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 202 mph. After my drive in the Palm Springs desert, I think they're accurate. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. There is a 49/51-percent split with its weight distribution favoring the rear, and that extra rear weight helps. It also has an Electronic Rear Differential (E-diff), which shifts power to the wheel that needs it the most and keeps things pointed in the right direction when you're pouring on the power. Aston Martin added Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers with bespoke tuning as well as Brembo brake discs that measure 410mm at the front with six-piston monoblock calipers. Carbon ceramic brakes are an option. Specially developed Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tires hang on the end of unequal-length double wishbones at the front, a multi-link rear axle, and coil springs. To me, it felt like a cross between a Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster and a 911 Carrera Cabriolet on the corners, but with more spirit and grace. Indeed, it does pack a AMG-sourced V8, but it was uniquely tuned by Aston Martin, giving it a sound and character all its own. Additionally, Aston Martin now ha the distinction of designing one of the fastest electrically controlled convertible tops on the planet. It goes down and up in about 6.8-seconds, and it can be function up to 31 mph. The Design is Amazing in Almost Every Way… Seating comfort, one-golf-bag cargo space, and even the overall interior design are vast improvements over the previous model. It's hard to find components lifted from other automakers, and the design aesthetic is classy inside and out. Every external line has a purpose, yet the body is voluptuous. The mouth is larger, as the turbos are larger, and the intercoolers are stacked, so they all require greater cooling. Despite this, the nose is shapely, and you'll never confuse it for anything else. The rear's massive diffuser and burly quad pipes dominate the tail's design, but the curved taillight design holds it all together beautifully. With the roof up or down, the car is mighty sexy, from any angle. There are a few issues with that beautiful design inside, though. Right off the bat, I was treated with a haunted seat that moved about as I got comfortable. That was because the seat controls, which are mounted on the transmission tunnel, were rubbing against my right knee more often than I'd like. I don't think shorter drivers will have much of an issue, but for taller drivers, a better location is needed. As I stated before, the switchgear has been improved. It looks and feels great; however, the location of some of the controls leaves a lot to be desired. In order to trigger the top, or change into manual driving mode, you have to master one-armed yoga to drop back far enough to use these switches. There are other examples of this, but these were the most notable. Final thoughts Yes, this car will set you back at least $200,000 – $250,000, and it is hitting dealerships the second quarter of 2025. Additionally, you can use the 'Q' option to make the color and material choices of the Vantage Roadster bespoke. Even without all of the extras, this is an amazing vehicle to drive and behold. It feels bigger than a 911, but it's actually a bit smaller with a lot more character. Just listening to it as I bounded through corners in 'Sport +' mode (there's Sport, Sport +, Track and Wet) was more than enough to lift my spirits, feel connected to the road, and have all of my senses rewarded. Driving the Vantage Roadster made me think, 'Man, I wish I was wealthy.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How long until Aston Martin calls on Newey to debug its car?
Motorsport photo Billionaires are demanding, impatient creatures. In Aston Martin's previous incarnations, continuity of personnel was a hallmark even as owners came and went; under Lawrence Stroll's ownership… well, it was probably a mistake not to install a revolving door in the team's lavish new technical 'campus'. Advertisement Since rebranding into British Racing Green, the cars have continued to toil and heads have rolled. Last July, Aston Martin announced it was hiring Enrico Cardile from Ferrari to become chief technical officer, and there have been at least two restructures of the engineering department while he has been on gardening leave. Indeed, Ferrari is still fighting to delay his start date; Cardile's employment status is becoming F1's equivalent of Jarndyce v Jarndyce, the never-ending probate case which provides the background for Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House. Among the developments while Cardile attends to his gladioli has been the hiring of Adrian Newey to a new position somewhere north of chief technical officer in the food chain. When Newey clocked in for work at the campus last month, he made it clear that learning the team and focusing on the upcoming 2026 ruleset would be his priorities: in previous career changes, when moving to McLaren and then Red Bull, he did his utmost not to get involved in debugging their existing cars. But, given Aston Martin's downbeat start to the 2025 season, that may not be an option. Advertisement Both cars were eliminated in Q2 in Australia, though Lance Stroll's sixth-place finish ameliorated some of the angst arising from Fernando Alonso crashing out. The Chinese Grand Prix panned out similarly after a point-less sprint race, with Stroll a distant ninth and Alonso an early retirement with brake failure from the midfield. In Japan, Stroll qualified and finished last and was the only driver to be classified a lap down, unable to make a strategy of starting on soft-compound tyres work. Alonso was also eliminated in Q3 as the car pivoted, like the almost 180-degree change in wind direction from Friday into Saturday, from being reasonably quick to behaving like a bucking bronco. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Andy Hone / Motorsport Images Advertisement 'We're not really fast enough to be in the top 10,' Alonso told Spanish media after finishing 11th. 'I guess we're not even fast enough to be in the top 18. 'So to be 11th is a bit of a miracle. Because, as I say, the car felt pretty consistent all race. It didn't have much grip. We also have the slowest car on the straights.' While some of Alonso's other remarks, such as holding this result up as one of his greatest races (a claim we've surely heard before), were redolent with hyperbole, in this he was not very wrong. While Gabriel Bortoleto's Sauber was slowest through the speed trap in qualifying and Jack Doohan's Alpine tardiest in the race, neither Aston Martin driver was much faster – and they were over 8km/h slower in the race than George Russell's Mercedes, the quickest car through the trap. The opening rounds presented a similar but less extreme picture. Advertisement It all suggests the AMR25 lacks aerodynamic efficiency and the team is having to trade off straightline speed to try to find some cornering performance. This on top of being extremely sensitive to changes of wind direction, which was one factor blamed for Alonso's adventure into the Degner gravel trap on Friday. understands that the Mondays after disappointing race weekends are uncomfortable ones at the Aston Martin factory as the owner breathes fire over his hapless employees. It is therefore inevitable that at some point Newey will be steered in the direction of the ailing 2025 project. What form this input will take is unclear. F1 engineering doesn't quite follow the rules of the African savannah, where a young lion's first job upon taking the lead of a pride is to kill all his predecessor's offspring. Newey told this author in a 2007 interview that, when he joined Red Bull the previous year, he 'took some time to understand the existing car' before putting all his energies into starting the next one from a clean sheet of paper. In his autobiography he was even less polite about what he found, why he took his most recent McLaren concept as a starting point instead, and why there was so little runway for change in Red Bull's 2006 car. Robert Doornbos, Red Bull Racing RB2 Third Driver Robert Doornbos, Red Bull Racing RB2 Third Driver Edd Hartley Edd Hartley Advertisement 'The car I drew was a better basis than the current 2006 Red Bull car,' he wrote, 'which overheated, had poor downforce, handled poorly and had an unreliable gearbox. Apart from that it was OK!' When a legal dispute over his gardening leave (some things never change) from Williams was resolved in mid-1997, upon moving into the McLaren factory Newey was immediately compelled to attend the Hungarian Grand Prix to help improve the existing car when all he wanted to do was focus on the new one. He suggested running softer springs and began plotting his retreat to the drawing board. Here lies Aston's problem. Adrian Newey is essentially a creative, a visionary – pulling him into developing an existing concept is a waste of his abilities, especially if that concept is fundamentally flawed. 'I always try to draw with passion,' he wrote in his autobiography. 'In other words, I have to believe that what I'm drawing will be the next step forward. I find that if I don't believe in what I'm drawing, it has never worked. Advertisement 'The difficulty is always trying to be honest with yourself, knowing when to stop flogging the proverbial dead horse and move on to something different. Often I see colleagues being much too protective of avenues when it is increasingly obvious that they won't yield results.' Perhaps it will be to Aston Martin's long-term advantage if the dead-horse AMR25 is sent to the glue factory, and Newey's prodigious creativity and mental bandwidth is devoted to making next season's new formula a success. But that would require a patience which is in short supply at the head of the organisation…
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alonso likens Suzuka to uneventful Monaco, amid overtaking drought
Motorsport photo Fernando Alonso has compared Suzuka to Monaco in terms of being a Formula 1 race that is basically won on a Saturday during qualifying. Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix saw a dearth of overtaking as the spectacle failed to spark into an entertaining race with Max Verstappen winning from pole. Advertisement It is something that has become an issue in recent years at Suzuka in the same way that Monaco has been highlighted as a race where success is determined by a driver's starting position. F1 will be hoping the Monaco issue is now set to be solved after it introduced two mandatory pitstops for the 2025 grand prix. But Alonso, who finished 11th for Aston Martin on Sunday, fears Suzuka may have now gone the same way as the race in Monte Carlo. 'This is Suzuka, I don't remember a race when we saw too many overtakes here without the weather changing,' said the two-time F1 world champion. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Advertisement 'It seems like we repeat always on Thursday, how great Suzuka is, how great Monaco is, the glamour, the spectacular weekend. 'And then on Sunday, we wake up and we say: 'Monaco is boring. What can we do to the track?' 'Suzuka is boring.' This is Formula 1, and Suzuka is great, because Saturday is incredibly high adrenaline.' Speaking after the race, Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur said this season could become a 'quali world championship' if the trend of struggling to overtake seen in both China and Japan continues. In what is the final year of the current regulations, there has not only been a convergence in car design but simultaneously teams have also found ways around rules that were originally introduced to promote more overtaking. Advertisement Across 2024 there were 70 fewer overtakes than a year earlier, despite there being two extra grands prix. All four races in 2025 meanwhile (three grands prix and one sprint) have been won from pole. Maybe one stop was not the race that we were hoping for,' added Alonso on Sunday's grand prix. 'In the past with multiple stops, maybe the tyres are different but when we don't have grip, we complain that there is no grip and when we have too many stops. 'We complain the tyres don't last, so instead of seeing the negative part of the weekend I try to enjoy what we experienced this weekend.' Suzuka began an F1 triple-header with this weekend being the Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Saudi Arabia next week. Read Also: Winners and losers from F1's 2025 Japanese Grand Prix
