Aston Martin deliver important update as new £200m HQ development gathers pace

Now that the first phase of the new Aston Martin factory has been completed, the team have offered an update on how the build is progressing at Silverstone.

The first of three new buildings has been completed on their huge infrastructure plan, with team staff having been working from their new offices in ‘Building One’ for the past few months.

Now, Aston Martin have given details about how buildings two and three are progressing, with the team having recently predicted that the full benefits of the new factory will be felt by early 2025.

Aston Martin offer in-house wind tunnel and simulator update as factory takes shape

Aston Martin project director Guy Austin revealed that the old factory, built to house Jordan in the early 1990s, has now been demolished, and work on ‘Building Two’ is working apace.

This will house the team’s new simulator, along with a staff restaurant, gym and other amenities – with plans for that to be open by early 2024, before attention can fully turn to the team’s wind tunnel.

“The bolts are already cast into the foundation pads of Building Two, and ready for the steel to be laid,” Austin told Aston Martin’s official website.

“Our simulator will be incredibly advanced. This is the next generation of Formula One infrastructure, and it’ll be here soon.

“Each of our three buildings will be linked together by an elevated bridge at first-floor level so that people can traverse each one without braving the unpredictable British weather.

“With high ceilings and large panes of glass used in the construction of these buildings, there will be plenty of natural light to provide a healthier and more inspiring working environment.

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“We’re going to start moving people here in January 2024 but it will still be a construction site because the wind tunnel is the next element.

“The wind tunnel is a crucial part of our new Technology Campus, as optimising car aerodynamics is a key ingredient to success in Formula One.

“Having our own wind tunnel on site is important because it means that, within the rules, we can test when we want to test.

“At the moment, we rent time in somebody else’s wind tunnel. And because it’s their wind tunnel, we can only test at certain times that are not necessarily the most convenient or when we really want to do a test.

“Furthermore, we don’t have to put a scale model of our car in a van and take it elsewhere – we can make better use of the time we’re allocated to testing in the tunnel.

“The facility is built to unbelievably fine tolerances, which is quite complex. This area will include the control room for the wind tunnel with six engineers sitting in tiered rows – like we have in Mission Control in Building One.”

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