Aston reserve Vandoorne warns of ‘long road ahead’ for team

Aston Martin reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne says the Silverstone-based outfit has “a long road ahead” of itself before it can become a consistent front runner in F1.

After fighting for podiums in the first half of last season, Aston regressed in the second part of its 2023 campaign on the back of an ineffective development programme.

So far this year, the team has yet to recover from its extended slump. Aston currently sits fifth in F1’s Constructors’ Championship – the same spot where it finished last season – but well adrift in terms of points from fourth-placed team Mercedes.

While all its direct rivals from last season have won this year, Aston’s current ambitions appear to be limited to leading F1’s midfield, a far cry from its expectations.

Last weekend at Spa, Fernando Alonso managed to finish eighth while Lance Stroll concluded his day just outside the points in P11.

“It was a difficult one,” Vandoorne told the F1 Nation podcast. “We all expected to have a more competitive weekend because of our characteristics of the car.

“We thought we’d have more straight-line speed. We were on the back foot.

“With Fernando, we were in no man’s Land. He had a victory of the second group of teams, let’s say. We were far behind the leaders, ahead of the remaining teams.

“Unfortunately, that is the reality that we’re in, at the moment. There is a long road ahead of us.”

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Alonso admitted after last weekend’s round of racing in Belgium that Aston would have its work cut out for it during F1’s summer break and beyond. But Vandoorne suggested that the team is likely facing a long haul – one that will likely extend into 2025 – before it can challenge for big points.

“I don’t think we’re there yet. It will take a bit of time,” he said. “We can still do a lot in the second half of the year to make things better for next season.

“Pushing through upgrades is hard but it’s more about understanding the philosophy of these cars, what it needs. What characteristics it needs.

“That’s what the top teams are doing well, they know which areas to tackle and what to improve.

“We bring things that work but others that don’t quite work. That’s the area to focus on.”

Aston Martin has yet to leverage the full potential of its new headquarters at Silverstone, with for instance its state-of-the-art wind tunnel only coming online in early 2025.

Furthermore, key hirings such as Ferrari technical director chassis Enrico Cardile have yet to join the team, while rumors regarding Adrian Newey’s potential move to Aston continue to swirl.

But current developments, while inherently very positive for Aston Martin, point to 2026 and to F1’s big technical changes as the outfit’s next big target.

“The new wind tunnel is not ready yet. By the end of the year we’ll probably be in a position to use it,” Vandoorne explained.

“It will be a benefit. But, in the beginning, it will be challenging because it’s a new tool. There will be a new way of working within the system. So it won’t be better from Day One.

“We are building a new sim, as well, which will be ready towards the end of the year.

“We are putting in the possibilities to be a successful team. Next year is when we need to build a strong foundation for 2026.

“2026 is a big year, the regulation change. We have Honda coming on board with the team. It will be a huge challenge but we have an opportunity to create something special.”

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