After a stellar 2023 campaign that featured regular podiums in the first part of the season, Aston Martin entered 2024 with lofty ambitions.
Unfortunately, Team Silverstone’s season ended not with a bang but with a bounce – literally. Finishing fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 95 points, Aston Martin’s year was defined by instability, both in the AMR24’s performance and the team’s approach to development.
Fernando Alonso delivered 70 of the team’s points, finishing ninth in the Drivers’ standings. Teammate Lance Stroll lagged behind with just 24 points, ranked 13th.
The team’s most recent podium in F1 was in Sao Paulo in 2023, and despite flashes of promise, the AMR24 proved to be a mercurial machine, plagued by severe bouncing and brake issues.
©AstonMartin
Alonso’s valiant P5 finish in Saudi Arabia early in the season hinted at potential, but the car’s inconsistent performance ensured the highs were few and far between.
The season’s nadir came at the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix. A full year after their last taste of champagne, when Alonso and Stroll battled not just competitors but their car’s wild ride.
Severe porpoising left Alonso nursing back pain, while Stroll was out of the running as early as the formation lap. The Spaniard pressed on in the race at Interlagos out of respect for his mechanics – a heroic gesture in a season that offered little else to celebrate.
In a nutshell, Aston Martin’s struggles boiled down to an overly aggressive development strategy. The team introduced upgrade after upgrade, often without taking the time to fully assess their impact.
Some elements, like the new floor brought to Suzuka, showed promise, delivering improved stability at low-speed circuits. But other developments, like the spec rolled out in Budapest, backfired spectacularly, worsening the AMR24’s bouncing and creating a car that was increasingly difficult to tame.
©AstonMartin
The rapid-fire updates left Aston with little consistency, and their scattergun approach – quite the opposite, for instance, to McLaren’s methodical approach – simply proved detrimental as it not only strained the team’s budget but also resulted in a car that seemed perpetually caught in an identity crisis.
In the end, Aston Martin’s 2024 season was a cautionary tale of how too much ambition, coupled with too little patience, can derail progress.
As they look to 2025, a calmer, more deliberate approach to development should help Aston improve significantly.
What’s in store for 2025?
Aston Martin didn’t succeed in their plan to become one of the top teams this season. However, that doesn’t mean all the effort put in this year was in vain.
While the 2024 season ended on a bitter note for the British team, things may change in 2025 and 2026.
Team owner Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in new infrastructure – a new wind tunnel and simulation system – as well as in human engineering resources, with F1 design guru Adrian Newey moving from Milton Keynes to Silverstone Park, while former top Mercedes engine man Andy Cowell is now the Aston Martin Group’s acting CEO.
Dan Fallows has relinquished his role as technical director, a task expected to be assumed by former Ferrari tech boss Enrico Cardile.
The stars are still aligning at Aston Martin but it’s anybody’s guess when their efforts will come to fruition.
For Fernando Alonso, at 43, it can’t happen soon enough.
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