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Aston Martin claimed that the new upgrades it brought to the 2022 Spanish GP were designed last year. According to team principal Mike Krack, the team chose to explore multiple design directions while developing the AMR22 last year in search of the best possible direction.
Speaking to Sky Germany, he said:
“We actually decided on different directions relatively early on – last year, so we can change the direction we have taken.”
He also said:
“We launched different programs and then decided at some point we had to go in a different direction. But that was long before any cars were public.”
The Silverstone-based team brought a heavily upgraded car to the Spanish GP after their initial design failed to meet expectations. Dubbed as the “B-spec,” the new car bears a striking resemblance to the Red Bull RB18.
This has naturally caused a stir across the grid, with many teams accusing Aston Martin of “plagiarizing” Red Bull's design. However, after investigating the design process, the FIA has opined that the new car was developed entirely by Aston Martin using their own resources and personnel.
Meanwhile, Krack brushed off the accusations of the team having copied Red Bull's design, claiming that the resemblance was purely coincidental. He said the chassis of the AMR22 was built with flexibility in mind and could facilitate quick changes in design. He stated:
“You will remember when we had the launch of the car, [we were] already mentioning we had built in some flexibility in the car, to be able to develop along the journey, and this is what we have done.”
He added:
“From that point of view, it was just a normal development process.”
Despite major upgrades, Aston Martin had a disappointing qualifying session in Barcelona.
Red Bull is investigating whether former personnel transferred its IP to Aston Martin
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed that they are investigating whether any of the team's former personnel might have leaked their IP to Aston Martin. Many former Red Bull employees currently work at Silverstone after Lawrence Stroll drew them in with lucrative offers.
Speaking to planetF1, Horner said:
“What isn’t fair and what is totally unacceptable, which we wouldn’t accept, is if there has been any transfer of IP at all.”
Transferring IP data between teams is illegal, and if proven true, the British team could get itself barred from this year’s championship.
