Ted Kravitz, the well-known sports commentator, recently shed light on the ostensibly minimalistic design of the Aston Martin AMR25. He described the car as the “ultimate blank slate” as the team anticipates the creative genius of Adrian Newey. Aston Martin has been testing the AMR25 this week at the Bahrain International Circuit, with a pre-season testing session following a filming day.
The last week has seen teams unveiling some remarkable innovations for the upcoming season. The Mercedes W16 floor duct and Sauber’s wing mirror assembly were among the notable reveals. However, Kravitz opines that Aston Martin has yet to elevate their car to this level, attributing this to their awaiting Newey’s design input for the F1 2025 car.
Kravitz’s comments on The F1 Show were explicit, “The Aston Martin is as blank as blank gets. Though they’ve refined certain aspects, their primary intention is to create a drivable car. They aim to rectify last year’s issues that Fernando and Lance found disagreeable, and keep things simple for Adrian to embellish with his brilliance.”
The lack of aggressive or thrilling elements in the car’s design, according to Kravitz, is not unintentional, but a deliberate strategy as they anticipate Newey’s innovative additions to the car.
Despite Kravitz’s assertions, Matt Somerfield, PlanetF1’s technology expert, pointed out a unique feature on the AMR25 visible on the second day of testing – small intakes positioned next to the Halo. In his report, Somerfield elaborated that the team had integrated a “Cobra-style winglet” into the AMR25.
He noted the unpainted region around these intakes, similar to the leading edges of other aerodynamic surfaces. This unpainted surface, he suggests, might contribute to performance enhancement due to the surface roughness it provides. The specific function of these intakes is unclear at this stage, but it’s likely they’re designed to help cool electronic components, considering the modest airflow they receive.
In addition to this, Somerfield posits that these intakes serve a dual purpose, tidying up the area around the cockpit and halo, which aligns with the introduction of the Cobra winglet and other geometric modifications made to the halo fairing. This is a clear testament to the fact that while waiting for Newey’s next move, Aston Martin is still taking steps forward in their design exploration.