Pressure on Aston Martin director has now ‘skyrocketed’ after failed update packages

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Aston Martin would have started this season hoping to build on the success of the beginning of the 2023 F1 campaign.

Fernando Alonso arrived at the team from Alpine and was immediately challenging both Red Bull drivers at the front of the grid.

The Spaniard earned eight podiums throughout the season and while teammate Lance Stroll couldn’t match that success, it was clear that they had a better understanding of the regulations than many of their rivals.

However, Aston Martin’s form suffered midway through the season as they struggled to understand how best to implement the upgrades they were bringing to the car.

Alonso’s final podium finish of the season in Brazil was a surprise and he benefitted greatly from Mercedes making key errors with their set-up in Sao Paulo.

Unfortunately, this season hasn’t started as Aston Martin would have wished.

They were the fifth-fastest team through the opening races of the season but have now been caught by V-CARB and Haas.

A report from Formua1a Uno suggests that the lack of progress made by Aston Martin has put pressure on one key member of staff.

This season’s updates have once again failed to deliver and technical director Dan Fallows is now in a position where he needs to make sure the development of both cars is heading in the right direction.

Team owner Lawrence Stroll is building an impressive team around him and the introduction of the highly sought-after Andy Cowell is a boost.

However, it may also see Fallows play a diminished role in the team going forward, especially with further signings planned by Aston Martin ahead of the next season and the regulation changes in 2026.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Pressure on Dan Fallows at Aston Martin has skyrocketed after failed updates

Fernando Alonso was left seriously disappointed after the Spanish Grand Prix despite the fact the team should have been looking further forward due to the updates on the car.

Alonso has been getting more and more frustrated recently although the team finally showed signs of progressing with a double-point finish at Silverstone.

Aston Martin appeared to look lost with their updates and have taken a step backwards this season, although they’re not alone in suffering that fate.

Both Ferrari and RB are grappling with update packages that don’t appear to have had the desired effect.

The report from Formu1a Uno suggests that pressure on Fallows ‘skyrocketed’ after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola when Aston Martin’s cars should have been faster due to the new parts installed.

Instead, Alonso finished 19^th after a nightmare weekend, although Stroll did return to the points after three finishes outside of the top ten.

They go on to say that Fallows’s powers will be ‘limited’ next season with the introduction of Enrico Cardile who has been appointed as Chief Technical Officer.

Aston Martin preparing for a Formula 1 title push in 2026

Lawrence Stroll is pushing to add Adrian Newey to his ranks alongside other recent important hires.

It would mean both the technical and design departments have been refreshed with work on the 2026 car set to begin at the start of next year.

Aston Martin have too large a gap to make up to be considered contenders before the ruleset changes with four teams already close to the limit of what can be achieved with the current cars.

However, with Honda arriving as their power unit supplier in 2026, Aston Martin will be confident that their state-of-the-art factory can produce a car that would at least earn them their maiden F1 victory, if not a title-challenging vehicle.