Aston Martin is not only the best customer team in the premier class in the 2023 Formula 1 season, but is currently even ahead of its supplier when it comes to transmissions and engines: Mercedes.
With the great progress and the goals and ambitions of the team, the question soon arises as to whether one needs to grow out of the Mercedes partnership in order to gain more design freedom oneself.
Owner Lawrence Stroll had already dreamed of having his own Aston Martin engine a few years ago, but with the new engine regulations for 2026 there would theoretically also be another option: Honda. The Japanese have expressed interest in a Formula 1 return and with a partnership Aston Martin would be a de facto works team, just as Red Bull was from 2019-2021.
“We’re very happy with what we’re getting,” Aston Martin chief technology officer Dan Fallows said of the partnership with Mercedes. “Of course we have the gearbox and parts of the rear wheel suspension. And of course the drive unit. We are very satisfied with that.”
Aston Martin ‘satisfied’ with Formula 1 relationship with Mercedes
“Obviously as engineers we work within the constraints that are available to us. And so far I haven’t found any reason to wish for anything other than what we got from them.”
So doesn’t sound like Aston Martin would be saying goodbye to Mercedes any time soon and doing its own thing. “That would be the case if we really depended on them for areas that would limit our performance,” Fallows said.
“Honestly, I don’t think anything that we get from Mercedes will limit our performance. Is any of that preventing us from achieving the goals that we want to achieve? No, absolutely not.”
“So I think we’re very happy with our relationship at the moment. I think that’s where we are at. We have an engine partner that we’re very happy with at the moment. And that’s what we’re about work and we are very happy with this relationship.”
Honda an option? The Aston Martin technical director
The Aston Martin technical director has therefore not yet given any thought to how, for example, one would design one’s own gearbox so that it works best for Aston Martin in terms of aerodynamics in the complete chassis construction.
“I honestly don’t know,” he says. “As with anything, you have to expand your team to cover different areas that you’re not involved in, but like I said, that’s not a problem for us at the moment. We’re very happy where we are.”
No wonder Fallows doesn’t think much of a possible Honda partnership for 2026 either, when asked about it: “I’ve been with the team for a little over a year, we’ve come a long way and we’re very focused on what what we want to achieve this year and next.”
“From my point of view the power unit and gearbox aspect is something we’re very happy with. In many ways it’s very gratifying that I don’t have to worry about that,” said Fallows.
“We’re focusing on what we can achieve in the short term and then on what we want to achieve in 2024. We don’t have any problems with the Mercedes engine. I think it’s a very strong engine. I don’t think it disadvantage in any way.”