Aston Martin issue crucial insight into 2025 F1 car

Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough has insisted next year's F1 cars will have different features despite entering the final season of the regulation cycle.

New technical regulations will come into play in 2026 with both the aerodynamic and engine departments receiving overhauls.

The current set of rules will enter their final season next year, with teams now being forced to split resources to concentrate on both projects.

“We have the handover phase in the wind tunnel and CFD,” McCullough told media including RacingNews365. 

“At this stage of the year, you're doing the big architectural things that could be different for next year's car.

“So that's where the wind tunnel development focus is heavy. But you make a lot of decisions on the whole design of the car, the vehicle dynamics, suspension side of things.”

F1 teams trying 'to make big steps'

Although teams are looking to make a headstart for the new regulations, McCullough believes there will be great differences in the 2025 challengers compared to the current cars.

“You can do a lot still for next year's car," he said. "There's understanding the limitations of this year's car, trying to address as many of those, whether it's mechanical, aerodynamic, anything else.

“This is that real key phase. They are going to be quite different cars still, next year.

“They’re going to be evolutions of [the current cars], but people are all trying to make big steps.”