At the beginning of the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen takes the lead.
Reportedly forced to roll back on some of their Imola upgrades, Michael Schmidt says Aston Martin were “lost” and are now slowly working their way back into the mix.
Aston Martin, who exceeded expectations last year with Fernando Alonso securing eight podium finishes, seems to have regressed this season, dropping back into the midfield.
‘They have to take one step back…’
After failing to reach the podium in the initial rounds and achieving their best performance of P5 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the team decided to bring in a significant upgrade package at Imola. This package consisted of a new front wing, floor, and bodywork.
Aston Martin’s reported return of bouncing has added to the growing list of teams that have failed to meet expectations.
While Ferrari’s bouncing has been noted, and acknowledged by the team, Aston Martin and VCARB are also “suffering from this phenomenon,” says Schmidt. “Many upgrades by the F1 teams are not working as intended. The underbody in particular is causing problems.”
Despite this, team boss Mike Krack remained adamant that they would investigate the issue thoroughly, assuring that the upgrades were indeed a positive development and there was no reason to discard them.
But scoring just 16 points in the next four races, the Auto Motor und Sport journalist claims Aston Martin did take steps at the last race at Silverstone.
“Aston Martin screwed the Suzuka underbody to the car along with new parts that were added such as front wing and rear ventilation,” he said in his Formel Schmidt podcast.
The team has ventured too far and become disoriented; they must now retrace their steps and gradually regain their progress.
Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso both secured points at the British Grand Prix, with Stroll finishing in seventh place and Alonso in eighth.
The key stats in Aston Martin’s 2024 F1 season
F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
The updated Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings after the British Grand Prix
Performance director Tom McCullough has reassured Aston Martin that both the data and drivers are in agreement, providing the team with a clear understanding of the necessary actions. However, it is important to acknowledge that implementing these changes will require a significant amount of time.
“He stated that the drivers desire to lead the grid and if updates are introduced to the car that don’t quite meet their performance expectations, the drivers will be less pleased.”
The drivers take great pride in seeing their name at the top and earning points. They display utmost professionalism and put in tremendous effort during the debriefs.
Fortunately, both of them are in agreement regarding the car’s condition. The data supports their claims, enabling us to identify areas that require improvement.
“Now, it’s all about focusing and efficiently bringing those parts to the car as fast as we can.”
Aston Martin has scored 68 points this season to sit P5 in the Constructors’ Championship, 37 points ahead of VCARB in the battle to lead F1’s midfield.
Read next: Follow PlanetF1.com’s WhatsApp channel for all the F1 breaking news!
