Aston Martin Committed to Suzuka Floor for Brazilian Grand Prix
According to a report from Autosport, Aston Martin has decided to stick with the Suzuka floor specification at the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix, as the team continues its search for answers to the performance drop-off of its 2024 car.
The Silverstone-based squad introduced a major development package at the United States Grand Prix, which included revisions to the main floor body, floor edge, roof, and sidewall of the diffuser. However, these changes did not deliver the expected performance boost, prompting further analysis by the team.
“You’ve seen, for example, the front wing stayed on, but other parts we could not keep,” acknowledged Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack.
The conclusion drawn by Aston Martin was that while most of the new parts had brought an improvement, the Austin floor itself was not a net gain. As a result, the team experimented with previous floor specifications during the Mexico weekend and eventually decided that the version originally brought to the Japanese Grand Prix in April was best suited to complementing the rest of the new specification.
Aston Martin will continue to use the Suzuka floor for the Brazilian Grand Prix, as the team believes the nature of the Interlagos circuit will be better suited to this specification. However, the team is aware that further changes may be necessary for the upcoming high-speed races in Las Vegas and Qatar, where different car characteristics are required.
In the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, Aston Martin secured a podium finish with Fernando Alonso, but the team is not anticipating being as strong this time around. As driver Lance Stroll said, “We’re in a different situation to where we were last year. We had a good car here last year, so when the car’s good, those results come. When the car’s less competitive, it naturally just becomes harder for those results to come.”
The team’s decision to roll back its floor specification is an attempt to gain a better understanding of the factors affecting its 2024 car, which has fallen behind the competition. This knowledge will be crucial as Aston Martin looks to develop its 2025 challenger.
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