2023 Aston Martin | Aramco | Cognizant F1 Team

[Juzh]

Lawrence Stroll has played Toto Wolff like a fiddle in the process of trying to construct a championship contending F1 team. This starts all the way from the bones of the W10 which led to the infamous RP20, and the close collaboration with Mercedes which allowed them to study the then championship winning team's windtunnel, PU, gearbox and aerodynamic designs and which has now been completed with the jettisoning of the Mercedes windtunnel, PU, and gearbox all by 2026 with sufficient understanding to do everything better

Now that they have to make their own gearbox they'll lobby to make it simpler.

didnt take long
https://the-race.com/formula-1/aston-ma ... t-gearbox/

Team principal Mike Krack says Aston Martin is pushing the FIA to ensure the “horrendous” cost of Formula 1 gearboxes is reduced.

Krack puts the cost of an in-house gearbox programme at “eight or nine million [dollars] a year”.

“I’m hoping sanity will prevail and we will choose to simplify the very complicated transmission”.

“If you look at the gearbox these days and you compare it with other motorsport categories, the gearbox is not a performance differentiator anymore,” said Krack.

“We have been in talks with the FIA if it does not make sense to go simpler, go more cost-effective from gearboxes with more simple technology, and also maybe less units per year that you would need, in an attempt to just make the whole sport more sustainable.

he goes on about how to simplify things etc etc.. all not very convincing imo.

[AR3-GP]

edit: I've been had

[KimiRai]

Wow, talk about timing @KimiRai

Can I also get today's lotto numbers?

I read the news first, it wasnt timing.

[AR3-GP]

Wow, talk about timing @KimiRai

Can I also get today's lotto numbers?

I read the news first, it wasnt timing.

oh ok. I don't understand why it matters for AMR. Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari have the same financial penalty. It's not like Aston would be spending more than them to make a gearbox.

Politics only makes sense if Aston was making their own gearboxes and the others were not.

[KimiRai]

Wow, talk about timing @KimiRai

Can I also get today's lotto numbers?

I read the news first, it wasnt timing.

oh ok. I don't understand why it matters for AMR. Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari have the same financial penalty. It's not like Aston would be spending more than them to make a gearbox.

Politics only makes sense if Aston was making their own gearboxes and the others were not.

Well you make a good point. It's been said that buying parts actually costs more money than making your own, so if that's true then it doesn't make sense for Krack to complain about the financial costs.

[KimiRai]

Fernando on the news from Honda:

"It's very good news for the team, I'm very excited."

"I think it shows Aston Martin's commitment to winning races and championships in the future, being independent, making their own gearboxes and everything in the car.

"It's probably the only way to really be 100% sure that you're in control of everything in your package, in your car, and it's a great sign to everyone at Aston Martin that the desire and the potential to win is there." .

"Going back to racing with Honda is not going to be a problem on my part."

"I know it didn't work last time, [in] 2015, 2016, 2017. It was even worse, maybe, for some of my teammates, like Stoffel, who came from dominating F3, F2, and then joined to the project that perhaps wasn't quite ready at the time.

"But I think now they show that they have a competitive package. They won the championship in '21 [with Red Bull], they won a championship in '22, and most likely they will win the championship in '23."

"So I think they have a very strong package now, and it's a new regulation [in 2026], but I think it's going to be a very exciting project for sure."

Asked if he could still join Aston Martin in a role other than driver in 2026, Alonso was reluctant to think that far ahead.

"I don't know," he replied.

"This is too far away to have an idea, so I have to concentrate and focus on this year. As I said, it is very exciting news, what is happening now with the team, this new partnership with Honda, the new factory at the end of this month."

"I think the team will move to the new building, the new wind tunnel, next year, so there's so much going on that it's normal to get excited and want to be a part of this team for many, many years."

"Whether it's as a driver or in a different role, it will be an honor to be a part of it. But so far [this weekend] it's just Monaco in my head, and this year and next year. Even on 2025, I'm not sure what I'll do."

[diffuser]

Lawrence Stroll has played Toto Wolff like a fiddle in the process of trying to construct a championship contending F1 team. This starts all the way from the bones of the W10 which led to the infamous RP20, and the close collaboration with Mercedes which allowed them to study the then championship winning team's windtunnel, PU, gearbox and aerodynamic designs and which has now been completed with the jettisoning of the Mercedes windtunnel, PU, and gearbox all by 2026 with sufficient understanding to do everything better

Did he though? He owns 1% of AMR.

[AR3-GP]

Lawrence Stroll has played Toto Wolff like a fiddle in the process of trying to construct a championship contending F1 team. This starts all the way from the bones of the W10 which led to the infamous RP20, and the close collaboration with Mercedes which allowed them to study the then championship winning team's windtunnel, PU, gearbox and aerodynamic designs and which has now been completed with the jettisoning of the Mercedes windtunnel, PU, and gearbox all by 2026 with sufficient understanding to do everything better

Did he though? He owns 1% of AMR.

and 33+% of the Merc F1 team. His business interest lie further in the success of the Merc F1 team than they do the AM car brand.

[diffuser]

Lawrence Stroll has played Toto Wolff like a fiddle in the process of trying to construct a championship contending F1 team. This starts all the way from the bones of the W10 which led to the infamous RP20, and the close collaboration with Mercedes which allowed them to study the then championship winning team's windtunnel, PU, gearbox and aerodynamic designs and which has now been completed with the jettisoning of the Mercedes windtunnel, PU, and gearbox all by 2026 with sufficient understanding to do everything better

Did he though? He owns 1% of AMR.

and 33+% of the Merc F1 team. His business interest lie further in the success of the Merc F1 team than they do the AM car brand.

Right but he knew enough to buy in.

[AR3-GP]

Did he though? He owns 1% of AMR.

and 33+% of the Merc F1 team. His business interest lie further in the success of the Merc F1 team than they do the AM car brand.

Right but he knew enough to buy in.

He’s a billionaire. He could afford to gamble. His investment in AM is like when you or me buy $100 of the latest meme stock.

[Big Tea]

and 33+% of the Merc F1 team. His business interest lie further in the success of the Merc F1 team than they do the AM car brand.

Right but he knew enough to buy in.

He’s a billionaire. He could afford to gamble. His investment in AM is like when you or me buy $100 of the latest meme stock.

Which works best for him? His car in shot with a Red Bull or two in the distance and a couple Ferraris now and again, or both his cars on screen together on the same piece of track? Adds value to both and calls attention of the camera director

[KimiRai]

The car is certainly more competitive than other circuits but unless a magical lap happens pole seems a little bit difficult for the green guys, so far.

[zoroastar]

The car is certainly more competitive than other circuits but unless a magical lap happens pole seems a little bit difficult for the green guys, so far.

if aston can qualify ahead of the redbulls i think they can get past ferrari in race strategy and tire management. but yeah, it would be nice to stick it right in the front

[peewon]

I think AM's best bet is Spain. Ferrari's one lap pace is almost as good as RB. Monaco was never a realistic win, unless there is a lucky red flag type situation in quali with Alonso on provisional pole.

[KimiRai]

Mechanics were working with what seems Alonso's rear suspension or something in that area for a long while, is it setup change or some issue?

Edit: According to Spanish broadcast they did some late session setup changes: ride height and rear stiffness. Unluckily though Fernando could not complete a lap due to the Haas and then Hamilton, so it's a bit unknown for us if the changes worked, maybe not for him. I think he only completed the 1st sector both times.