“Enjoying the new wind tunnel”: Aston Martin’s Andy Cowell optimistic as new Silverstone wind tunnel fuels team hopes of F1 resurgence

Aston Martin's Formula 1 aspirations are being given a lift by its brand-new Silverstone wind tunnel. The British team, struggling with a difficult beginning to the 2025 season, now hopes that its in-house, cutting-edge facility will assist in revolutionising the performance of the AMR25 and speed up development for the 2026 car under new regulations. Team principal Andy Cowell claimed that they are ‘enjoying the new tool’.
Aston Martin's new wind tunnel went fully operational in mid-March, a key milestone in the team's ambitious infrastructure growth. In an interview with F1.com, team principal Andy Cowell highlighted how the Silverstone facility is giving the team a ‘clearer’ and ‘more representative’ picture of their aerodynamic performance than the old setup at Mercedes' Brackley headquarters.
“We’ve transitioned to this tunnel, and there’s hardware coming through that we’ll see at the circuit in the coming races,” Andy Cowell said. “They’ll never tell you exactly the same, but we are enjoying the new wind tunnel. It’s opened our eyes to a few characteristics. Then you’ve got to do the work. If you’ve got a new test facility that gives you a clearer view, a more representative view, you’ve got to then do aero development work. You’ve got to change shapes, make parts, understand, and then make full-size components to bring to the circuit and measure in this complex environment. We’re in that process, enjoying the new tool, and look forward to making a faster race car with it.”
Nevertheless, Andy Cowell acknowledged that changes in test venues have downsides. The AMR25 was initially conceived in a different wind tunnel, and the new data calls for realignment. Still, the Silverstone plant will be highly contributory to Aston Martin's efforts to rise again into contention, both in terms of this year's competition and building up the 2026 challenger.
The 2025 Formula 1 season has been unkind to Aston Martin up to this point. The team lies seventh in the constructors' championship after five events. Lance Stroll displayed early promise with a total of 10 points through the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix but has been unable to escape Q1 in the recent qualifying sessions.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, has yet to score a point this year, with his best finishes being a pair of 11th places.
Andy Cowell did not shy away from the team's struggles. He explained that the intricacy of Formula 1—from aerodynamics to tyre behaviour—makes a comeback extremely difficult. Still, he has hope, considering many performance challenges can still be sorted out during the ongoing rules cycle.
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While Aston Martin's 2025 Formula 1 season has not been perfect by any means, the opening of the Silverstone wind tunnel represents a major watershed. With a sharper understanding and a more sophisticated facility now entirely online, the team is committed to translating lessons into performance gains. As they continue with updates and future development, Aston Martin is looking to soon return to the sharp end of the grid, equipped with both ambition and the appropriate tools for the task.