Aston Martin have begun work on their new F1 team factory and wind tunnel in Northamptonshire, with Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll and JCB Chairman Lord Bamford both in attendance. The ceremony starts an 18-month construction and installation phase for the new headquarters, which has been designed by Ridge and Partners LLP and project-managed by Ridge, construction consultancy Gardiner & Theobald and the team's own in-house resource. The new three-unit factory will be built on land across the road from the Silverstone circuit, with the 400,00 square feet (37,000m squared) buildings set to be finished by late 2022 or early 2023. For the first time, the new factory will house every manufacturing resource within a single campus – Aston Martin currently operates from several discrete buildings, with additional work outsourced. One building will house the team's design and manufacturing and marketing resource, while a second will host the brand-new wind tunnel. A third building will redevelop and repurpose the existing factory premises as a central hub with staff amenities and a logistics centre. The commissioning of the wind tunnel is due to start in the third quarter of 2023, with Stroll stating the move reflects Aston Martin's desire to become an F1 World Championship contender. "It is inspiring to look at where we are now in the context of the architectural and organisational challenges and ambitions that lie ahead," Stroll said regarding the new facilities. "Our new buildings reflect not only the scope of our determination to become a World Championship-winning force, but also the scale of our growth and development as an organisation. "I feel strongly that any building is a powerful representation of the people who work within it, and I am thrilled that we are creating a new home in which people can work, collaborate, create and win together. "It is exciting to think that the entire team will be in its new home by the end of 2022 or the start of 2023, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners who are working on the project, especially JCB and Cognizant." The new factory will also be the first F1 facility to have smart factory intelligent systems. It's designed to be a wireless, adaptive and streamlined facility, with information streams, monitoring systems and manufacturing processes all linked together via data in the cloud. Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer noted that while their current Silverstone factory is a piece of F1 history, Aston Martin had simply outgrown it. "Our existing Silverstone factory is a little piece of Formula 1 history – but, as an organisation, we have outgrown it. What is more, we will require even more space as we continue to build our headcount over the next few years," Szafnauer stated. "We are indebted to the local council for their help and understanding throughout the design and consultation phase; we feel like we are creating a landmark that will express and enhance the values and investment that have made the Silverstone Technology Park and Motorsport Valley essential locations for the British technology industry."
Most read
