The Aston Martin Formula 1 team is probably one of the most exciting projects in the sport right now. Lawrence Stroll is investing a huge sum of money not only in setting up the infrastructure and high-tech facilities but also in bringing in key personnel from other teams. It was rumored that during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Stroll reportedly made a huge contract offer to lure the 65-year-old designer, Adrian Newey, to join Aston Martin’s headquarters in Silverstone.

And now it looks like Aston Martin is after ex-Honda engine boss Masashi Yamamoto, as Fernando Alonso was seen arriving with him at Suzuka on Friday. Yamamoto is currently working on the Red Bull Powertrains project.

You see, the Honda engine at the back of the Red Bulls has played a key role in helping the team deliver championships in the last 3 seasons. After struggling through much of the turbo hybrid era powered by Renault, the Honda engines were a big upgrade for Red Bull Racing in 2019. It only took the Milton Keynes squad a couple of years to deliver a championship-winning car in 2021. However, Honda decided to step away from Formula 1 at the end of 2021, leaving Red Bull with the task of managing its own engines.

While Honda continues to provide power units to Red Bull during this transitional period untill the end of 2025, many of the talented staff responsible for Max Verstappen’s first championship season have moved on to new projects. Among them is the former Honda’s F1 chief, Masashi Yamamoto, who left Honda to help Red Bull with its new power train project.

As part of his new role, Yamamoto serves as an important link between Red Bull’s powertrain division and Honda, ensuring a seamless transition and collaboration between the two entities. However, with Honda already set to partner with Aston Martin in 2026, it could be a huge win for the Silverstone-based team if they can manage to bring Yamamoto on board.

While these acquisitions are part of the bigger picture for Aston Martin to become a top team in Formula 1, it has to be said that the team didn’t start the 2024 season on the front foot as they did in 2023. However, Fernando Alonso has made it clear that his team has a lot of upgrades planned for the season.

Fernando Alonso seems quite happy with Aston Martin’s development plan

During the driver’s press conference in Japan, Alonso shed some light on the development pace of Aston Martin in 2024. He hinted at a more aggressive strategy for the current season, aligning more closely with that of the top teams like Ferrari and Mercedes. The team is bringing important upgrades to the Japanese Grand Prix itself, including changes to the bumpers, floor, and rear components such as the beam wing.

“At the moment, we are lacking almost everywhere, and we don’t see a specific area where we are weak. We would like more low-speed performance and better traction,” said Alonso. “We have been very aggressive in developing the car so far, and I think there are a lot of things in the pipeline for the next few months as well… So far, at every race, we have driven a different car, which is a good sign of what we want to achieve this year – to be very aggressive with the updates.“

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Do you think Aston Martin can make a step up in Japan with their new sidepods and floor updates?