How Aston Martin plans to rebound after F1 2023 errors

Aston Martin’s immense early-season form in 2023 tailed off dramatically, so a lot depends on whether it has been able to understand, recover and build on the performance that was lost throughout the course of last season.

As has become the norm with these launches, let’s start by looking at the sidepods: Aston, just as it did with Alpine’s gulley-style sidepod concept last season, has taken the foundations of an idea and presented a much more extreme example.

In this instance it’s the sidepod inlet design, as it has clearly gathered further intel on Red Bull’s inlet design, which itself went through a transformative phase last season, and incorporated a radical version of its own into the forward section of the AMR24’s sidepod. 

The team had already taken a tilt at what it saw on the RB18 with last year’s car, albeit incorporating the extended lower lip into a more conventionally hooped design.

But for 2024 the sidepod features a much more elongated lower lip that sits high on the chassis relative to a conventional design, which not only enlarges the sidepod’s undercut it also adds some protection for the air flowing into the inlet from the turbulent wake generated by the tyre ahead.

The elongated panel allows the inlet to be set back and is larger than the front projection would have you believe, especially at the most outboard point, as the bodywork has been pinched at its shoulder.

Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Aston Martin Racing

Thereafter, the overall concept of the sidepod is not dramatically different from last year’s design. But it’s clear that the shape has been carefully optimised not only with the internal components in mind, but also in order to take full advantage of the aerodynamic connection it has with the floor and its ancillary components.

This includes the deeper gulley approach taken with the AMR23, as the design of its successor is mindful of its starting point and how they weave down the rear of the car into the coke-bottle region.

It’s here where we find another of the changes made to the AMR24’s makeup, albeit forced upon them by Mercedes, from whom it purchases the gearbox and rear suspension, as it has made the switch from a pull-rod to a push-rod layout.

Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Aston Martin Racing

Obviously, this has ramifications in terms of the packaging of the car,…