Aston Martin must not "replicate what our competitors are doing" if they want to achieve their Formula 1 title goals, says technical director Dan Fallows. The Silverstone squad finished seventh in the 2022 standings as owner Lawrence Stroll invests heavily into the team in a bid to challenge for the World Championships within the decade. As well as new facilities, including a new factory, the team have been a massive recruitment push, including signing Fallows from Red Bull - where he was a trusted Adrian Newey lieutenant - to lead the technical department. The 2023 car will be the first designed fully under Fallows' leadership, but he says the team must be confident in their own abilities to chart their own course and not just follow the example of established front-runners Mercedes, Ferrari and current champions Red Bull.
Fallows on Aston future
"The important thing for us is to make sure that we don't just replicate what what our competitors are doing," Fallows explained to media including RacingNews365.com during a recent tour of the Silverstone base. "We don't believe that's going to help us overtake the likes of Mercedes, or Ferrari, so we have to develop our own way of doing things. And that takes time. "But we've got a hugely ambitious group of people. One of the things about seeing the new factory come together, as it demonstrates this momentum, this vision, this wish to accelerate the process of moving up the grid and starting to get into a winning situation. "That's what's really going to help us get there: this passion, this motivation, and this belief that we will get there eventually."
Fallows on the comparisons to Red Bull
As a former head of aerodynamics at Red Bull, Fallows is well-placed to identify the weaknesses compared to the Milton Keynes operation - where he was part of the team that won four consecutive title doubles between 2010 and 2013 with Sebastian Vettel. One reason Fallows believes the team was so strong was their ability to "iron out issues." "There are a number of reasons why Red Bull are as good as they are," he said. "They've managed over a period of years to iron out issues in every aspect of the team - whether that be the race team, the manufacturing facilities, or the design office. "Building that kind of success is making sure that there are no areas where you have substantial weaknesses - and I am very proud that I was part of that on the engineering side. "They're an incredibly strong team - and I do have an experience of what it means to win races and win championships. "It's the key messages and you just have to make sure that every aspect of what you're doing has no hole and that there are no things that can compromise performance as you go along."
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