The ebb and flow of Formula One folk moving between teams is a well trodden path; more so since the introduction of the FIA’s new spending restrictions which came into effect in 2022. The bigger teams had to slim down their headcount to remain under the financial ceiling and with the improved level of sponsorship, the smaller teams were in fact able to grow.

Back in 2022, Aston Martin were waist deep into their new $200m investment programme to create a state of the art facility at their Silverstone base. Yet they urgently needed the engineering brains to design a car that would be competitive with the likes of Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

Red Bull have historically been highly respected for their advanced aerodynamics department, delivering championship winning cars for Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. With Adrian Newey playing a floating role since he gave up the role of team Technical Director in 2018, Pierre Wache and Dan Fallows became the heart of the unit.

 

 

 

Fallows 1st Aston F1 car, a success?

Then Aston Martin came a knocking for Dan Fallows (head of aerodynamics) as the 2022 season began to unfold. Red Bull unusually agreed to release Dan in a matter of weeks – no gardening leave or extended wait to start his new role as technical director.

Fallows joined in early April and set about work on the 2023 car. The AMR23 proved to be a huge improvement on its predecessor sending Fernando Alonso to six podiums in the first seven races of the year. By the end of round 9 in Austria, Aston Martin were just three points behind Mercedes in third place.

This was as good as it was to get for the Silverstone based team who suffered from a similar problem to the one Red Bull has had this year with Sergio Pérez. Whilst Fernando was hauling in big points each weekend, his team mate Lance Stroll was nowhere.

The problem for Aston Martin is similar to the one Red Bull are experiencing this year with Sergio Pérez in that their ‘number two driver’ slot, despite the heroics of Alonso the team were to destined to slide down the table.

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Schumacher points the finger

Other difficulties were to overtake Aston Martin in what had promised to be a stunning year. In season car development appeared to stagnate, as the likes of McLaren and Ferrari improved, Aston Martin just looked to be lost.

This year, the AMR24 has been in a league of its own – literally, but not a good thing – and until Alpine scored record points last time out in Brazil Aston Martin were a forlorn 300 points behind Mercedes in fourth and a long way clear of the chasing pack. Now with a P2 and a P3 in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Alpine are just 37 points behind their rivals in British Racing Green.

As the season limps to an end for Aston Martin, news broke that their technical director Dan Fallows would be leaving his role with immediate effect after less than three years in situe. The ex-Red Bull chief aerodynamicist is moving to an unspecified role elsewhere within the group.

“He (Fallows) had a lot of influence on the car and it looked like a rocket at the beginning of the season,” former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher now tells formel1.de.

Hill exit

 

 

 

Fallows blamed for AMR24 flop

Of course with the arrival of Adrian Newey who worked closely with Fallows, speculation is rife that it was Newey who instigated this change. Newey will become the Aston Martin technical managing partner and unlike during his recent years at Red Bull, he has agreed to work full time.

“The difference between Adrian Newey and many others is his ability to solve problems. Newey seems incredible at that, while Fallows didn’t succeed,” adds Schumacher.

“Fallows left Red Bull to claim this better role, but I can imagine that it was not a good fit between him and Aston Martin. And now Adrian is arriving.”

When asked for his opinion on the Aston Martin reshuffle, 1997 F1 champoin Jacques Villeneuve tells Grosvenor Sport: “It is no surprise that Dan Fallows is leaving Aston Martin, if you look at the development of that car.

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Newey appointment related?

“It just gets worse and worse,” said the Canadian.

Schumacher, who spends time with Newey at his home in South Africa each year, increases speculation that Newey forced fallows out. “I don’t know what happened,” said the German, “but I will ask Adrian when I see him next.”

Villeneuve believes Newey was indeed responsible for Fallows demise and asserts: “Newey will start making decisions now. Lawrence Stroll is putting a lot of money into the project, and he wants results and perfection, which is what Formula 1 is all about.

“If you’re not good enough, you’re pushed aside. And it used to happen much faster than it does now. People stay in Formula 1 much longer now – it’s like a private club.”

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Problems began with Imola upgrade

The team started the year with promise as Fernando Alonso scored in each of the first seven rounds. Then the much expected Imola upgrade package was introduced which appeared to introduce handling characteristics which made the AAMR24 “more difficult to drive,” according to Alonso.

In its efforts to undue the damage, Aston Martin went into a development vortex which saw Fernando outside the points in seven of the next fourteen race weekends. In the recent triple header the team was even slower than the pointless Sauber outfit across weekends in Austin, Mexico City and Sao Paulo.

Mercedes too brought an early upgrade to the start of the European season, and the diverging results from that point left Aston Martin stranded alone mid-table. Last time out in Brazil, the desperation of the Silverstone engineers was laid bare as the team fitted the old spec floor last used in Japan way back at the beginning of April.

Mercedes too appeared confused by the new ground effect car design rules, but their summer upgrades saw their drivers take wins well earned wins in Silverstone and Belgium, although Russell was disqualified in Spa handing his team mate the win.

Adrian Newey will join the Silverstone based squad at the beginning of April next year, too late to influence the AMR25, but he’ll be working his magic for the next big rule change coming into force the following season.

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Ferrari afford Hamilton the same privilege as Schumacher

Lewis Hamilton has three remaining race weekends before he leaves his F1 home of twelve years to join the iconic scarlet Ferrari team. The seven times champion has been comprehensively beaten by his team mate this season, although the points table suggests the duel was closer than it was in reality.

Last time out in Brazil, Hamilton cut a dejected and lonely figure even complaining to assembled media he would happily start his winter break right now. “Yesterday was bad, qualifying was bad, the Sprint race was bad. The car’s just been bad all weekend.”

Once renown as the F1 master in wet conditions, Lewis complained his W15 was bouncing around the entire lap of Interlagos stating its the “worst car I’ve ever driven”. With his sights set firmly on his new life in Maranello, Lewis Hamilton has received a boost from his future team as they roll out the red carpet like never since the days of Michael Schumacher… READ MORE