Aston Martin are reportedly in talks with former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto. As the team continues to fall down the F1 pecking order, changes could be implemented to strengthen their technical department. After all, Lawrence Stroll is unlikely to be taking Aston’s sharp decline very well.
The story of Aston Martin’s fall is now well-documented. Twelve months ago, they were comfortably the second-fastest team, with Fernando Alonso securing regular podium finishes. Unfortunately for the Double World Champion, the AMR23 would quickly become less competitive.
Much of this downfall was self-inflicted by Aston Martin, whose upgrades put the car out of its operating window. Like Mercedes, the theoretical downforce in the simulator did not translate into actual performance on track.
In the final months of 2023, the Silverstone-based team worked to correct its mistakes. Dan Fallows even described the end of last year’s campaign as a prolonged test for his technical team.
However, the situation has only worsened in 2024 so far. Whilst it would be premature to dismiss the recent AMR24 updates as a complete failure, they are certainly not having the desired impact. Ferrari and McLaren have left Aston in the dust, with even the struggling Mercedes a few steps ahead of Mike Krack’s squad.
Alonso went from qualifying 5th in Japan and 3rd in China to consecutive Q1 eliminations in Imola and Monaco. Of course, the last two months show that change is certainly achievable in a short time frame. With that said, there is very little confidence that the British outfit will rectify the situation soon.
BINOTTO IN TALKS WITH ASTON MARTIN
With this in mind, reports are emerging about significant moves behind the scenes. These proposed alterations would undoubtedly be catalysed by the regression Lawrence Stroll’s team has experienced over the last year.
Mattia Binotto is currently in negotiations with Aston Martin, according to Motorsport-Total. The Italian would take the role of CTO (Chief Technical Officer), overseeing the work done by Dan Fallows.
If this move transpires, it would be one of many recent technical reshuffles throughout the F1 grid. McLaren started this trend with their innovative new structure last season.
For Aston Martin, one person is unlikely to be a total game-changer. Whilst Binotto’s credentials are to be respected, concerns remain about the British team’s wind tunnel correlation. In this sense, their new wind tunnel set to come online in 2025 will be essential.
Until then, however, the various weaknesses within the team are being exposed. Rather than looking in front of them, Mike Krack’s personnel are looking behind at the increasingly consistent VCARB.
Although Alonso is currently experiencing a dip in form, Aston’s failures in development are increasing the scrutiny on Lance Stroll and – more broadly – whether Aston Martin can be seen as a serious outfit. The next two years will provide plenty of answers on this front.
