TECH ANALYSIS: Can Aston Martin threaten the podium again with more 'driveable' AMR25?

Aston Martin’s new AMR25 appears to be a further smoothed-out interpretation of last year’s car, with essentially the same chassis dimensions and similar running gear (albeit with tweaked suspension geometry).

Created under the supervision of since-departed Technical Director Dan Fallows, the car retains its carry-over Mercedes rear gearbox, wheelbase dimensions and cockpit positioning.

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The suspension remains pushrod in operation at both front and rear (in common with Mercedes) but with higher mounting points for the upper wishbone at both ends.

The most visually obvious change is to the sidepod shape, now with much smoother contouring of its underside from the front as it flows back. The greater sidepod height at the front suggests the smoother underside has been achieved by moving the cooling radiators higher, a common development direction among all the teams.

The lip which separates the airflow to the radiators from that flowing over the top of the sidepod is now mounted above the radiator inlet rather than below, as per the fashion introduced last year by Red Bull. The front wing design is new, Aston acknowledging the previous car’s weakness of low-speed front end grip into slow corners.

The fin atop the engine cover features a sharp, jagged edge, helping guiding airflow to the rear wing, with the edges helping to energise that flow by breaking up the tendency for airflow to attach to the surfaces, slowing it down.

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There is an all-new floor which, say Aston, “has been revised to improve airflow underneath the car. The new sidepod and bodywork design complement this, allowing better airflow management under the car and over the rear wing.”

A lot of attention has been focused upon the rear wing’s behaviour in the transient stages of a corner, as the car is turned in. Excessive yaw in this early phase of the corner was believed to be a contributory cause to its rear tyre performance.

New Aston Team Principal Andy Cowell summarises as follows: “For this year’s car we’ve really taken on board the lessons and feedback from last season. We’ve focused on creating a more driveable car for Lance [Stroll] and Fernando [Alonso] and we’ve pushed hard to make it more benign.

"We expect it to be a tight and competitive field from the get-go in Australia, so we know it won’t be easy.

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"Our aims are realistic with a view to how we can continually improve in all areas, especially as we, like all teams, approach a vital shake-up of the regulations in 2026."

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