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Aston Martin F1 Team Has High Hopes for Improved Facilities
The team’s new wind tunnel and simulator will help get the race cars to the front.
4 Min Read
Aston Martin hopes to improved the performance of its race cars with the aid of upgraded facilities.Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team
At a Glance
- The wind tunnel will be the newest and most advanced in Formula 1.
- The team won't have to work around the Mercedes F1 team's test schedule because they won't need to share their tunnel.
- Aston Martin's new simulator is like something from "Star Wars."
The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team has been aggressively renewing its infrastructure since it was bought by deep-pocketed Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll in 2021.
Referred to as “Team Silverstone” in reference to the headquarters adjacent to the track that hosts the British Grand Prix, the previous facility was built by Jordan Grand Prix racing in the ‘90s.
To compete with today’s front-running F1 teams, Aston Martin needed newer, better tools, including a new wind tunnel and a new simulator. The team provided some insight into the upgrades with these answers from Aston Martin Aramco Team Principal Mike Krack.
Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team principal Mike Krack (left, with headset around his neck) with the team's crew. ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO FORMULA ONE TEAM
Q: The new wind tunnel and simulator at the AMR Technology Campus are scheduled to come online soon. How will they make a difference?
Mike Krack: There is potential for the new simulator and wind tunnel to change the game. The Mercedes wind tunnel in Brackley (UK) that we currently use is excellent but having your own tunnel on site takes things to another level – more so when that tunnel is going to be the most technically advanced and represent a new benchmark.
Q: Why is this a game-changer?
Mike Krack: Because it gives you more flexibility. At the moment, we have to execute our wind tunnel runs one after the other. If we have a failure with the model or a reliability issue, we lose the runs. The aerodynamic testing restrictions under which F1 works make those runs a finite commodity and very precious.
Having our own tunnel will de-stress the operation – but also allow our aerodynamicists more capacity to be creative. Everything will be so close: the model shop is right next to the tunnel. We can stop a run, wait an hour or two while new parts are produced, and go again."
Q: When will the team start to see the benefits?
Mike Krack: Commissioning a wind tunnel is a job for specialists, and we’re lucky to have a very passionate team doing that work. There are some great leaders in that group. They don’t get the attention that’s afforded the drivers, senior management or the design team – but they’re probably under even more pressure, and cope with it calmly and lead their teams exceptionally well.
Q: How soon will this translate into better performance at the track?
Mike Krack: We won’t begin seeing results the moment the tunnel goes live. Like any new tool, you need to learn how to use it properly. It’s not a case of turning it on and instantly getting better results or greater fidelity. The first goal is to replicate the consistency and quality we get in our current tunnel. The target is to be at least as good as that. On its own, that isn’t easy because that tunnel has been developing for 20 years. After that, we need to develop and keep developing.
Aston Martin's new home sim rig for racing fans. ASTON MARTIN
Q: What can you tell us about the team’s new simulator?
Mike Krack: That’s also been a huge undertaking, with a dedicated team pouring all of their experience into making it best-in-class. Like the wind tunnel, I go over to talk to everyone in an effort to increase my own understanding, and the simulator is just amazing. It’s going to improve our fidelity, improve the whole feedback loop the driver will have. I’ve seen a demonstration and I was absolutely blown away. It felt like being in "Star Wars."
Speaking of simulators, Aston is ready to let the rest of us, um, simulate that we’re using their new simulator. The company is offering a racing sim rig styled like the team’s race cars. While the team has previously offered simulators, this new one differentiates itself by providing motion feedback.
It includes haptic actuators, a front pivot configuration, and haptic rumble feedback. The team promises that this advancement offers gamers and racers true the motion of a real F1 car accurately emulated from the moment they climb into the cockpit. The purchase will make your wallet $131,000 thinner, so you might not even have to remove it from your pocket to drive the sim!
About the Author
Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.
A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.
Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.
Dan, testing the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. ANDY MORGAN/ASTON MARTIN
He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.
He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.
He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.
He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.
Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.
He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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