Bernie Collins Explains Aston Martin's Hungarian GP Resurgence

Aston Martin experienced a "phenomenal" boost in performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a turnaround Sky Sports F1 analyst Bernie Collins explains was key to their success.

Fernando Alonso, despite a back injury, secured a fifth-place finish, earning 10 points. His teammate Lance Stroll finished seventh, adding six points. These results allowed the Silverstone-based team to overtake Sauber, moving into sixth in the constructors' standings heading into the F1 summer break.

Why it matters

Aston Martin's sudden surge in performance is a significant development, especially given their previous struggles at high-downforce tracks. This unexpected improvement offers a much-needed morale boost and crucial insights for their future car development.

The details

Bernie Collins, a former strategist for Aston Martin, pointed to a specific setup change: a new front wing combined with an old floor. Collins highlighted how a single component, like the front wing, can dramatically alter overall car performance. She explained that if the old front wing hindered airflow to critical parts like the floor, diffuser, and rear wing, the new design could optimize this flow, allowing all components to work effectively.

"Suddenly, the whole floor is working better, the diffuser's working better, the rear wing's working better. So just getting one assembly correct - particularly front wing or a front brake duct, anything like that that's affecting a lot of the airflow further back in the car - it can turn your performance around quite quickly," Collins stated.

What's next

While the Hungarian GP results are highly positive, Collins emphasized the need to observe if this performance can be maintained across a range of downforce levels and different circuits. If Aston Martin can understand the precise reasons for their car's improved performance this weekend, it will provide immense confidence and direction for their ongoing design work in the wind tunnel, fluid dynamics, and simulator.