ASTON MARTIN’S SEARCH FOR LOST DOWNFORCE
Aston Martin has endured a torrid start to 2021, which has yielded just five points courtesy of Lance Stroll in the opening two races. The incoming Sebastian Vettel has scored none, the team has spent its energy being upset at the floor regulations that stripped the car of its ubiquity within the points-scoring positions, and is struggling to make it into Q3 regularly.
But the squad has made a few baby steps in trying to clear its headaches. One of the first ports of call was in changing the shape of its sidepods, which feature a more distinct slope down to the floor to guide air more cleanly around the rear of the car. It then brought a new floor, with revised ripples along the edge to improve the diffusion of air and introduce more suction underneath, and also works with the fins along the top to help punt airflow outwards.
Losing a big chunk of the floor has hurt the Aston squad, and although it is making waves to address them – both in the design office and in the FIA’S voicemail messages – it may require more time and investment before the AMR21 properly mixes it in the upper midfield again.
The car has looked a little more consistent of late, but it’s simply lacking pace.