How much more embarrasing will it get for Aston Martin this year?

It marks the start of a planned three-race development programme by Aston Martin aimed at evaluating the car’s performance and guiding future direction.

Arguably the best funded team where money is not an issue, it appears, a magnet for the smartest people in the F1 paddock, a state-of-the-art new factory, a two-time F1 world champion leading the driver charge, yet Aston Martin are an embarrassment, the laughing stock.

Lawrence Stroll's team is the worst on the grid, in terms of bang for bucks spent to go racing. And very little to show for it despite the owner's passion and commitment to the project. Does money buy success no matter what? Time will tell.

After a difficult start to the year, Aston Martin finds itself in a close fight with Sauber near the back of the grid. The updates arriving at Imola will be the first modifications made to the AMR25 this season, with further changes scheduled for the following two race weekends.

Aston Martin CEO Andy Cowell confirmed the team’s focus remains on long-term development. The upgrades arriving in Imola are designed primarily to gather data for the 2026 AMR26, with the team using the AMR25 as a platform to validate performance from its new wind tunnel facility.

“We could have some new parts at Imola,” Cowell said. “We’ll have time to understand if it’s the right thing or not.”

The Silverstone-based team has acknowledged that the new components are not necessarily tailored to the current car but are part of a data-gathering exercise to cross-check wind tunnel results with on-track performance. According to team sources, parts will arrive gradually across the next few events, depending on production schedules and the team’s ability to manage development in stages.

Fernando Alonso confirmed in Miami that upgrades will be fitted to the AMR25 for Imola, but warned that gains may be limited due to similar development efforts across the grid: “Improvements? We have them but so does everyone else. The others aren’t sleeping in the meantime.”

Alonso noted that while some performance may be gained, most teams traditionally bring updates for the start of the European leg of the season. He emphasised that the competitive gap remains significant and that it would take a considerable step to materially alter Aston Martin’s current position on the grid.

While improvements to the AMR25 are being implemented, Aston Martin’s primary objective for the 2025 season is data collection and validation for its 2026 programme.

Most of the team’s resources have already been allocated to the development of the AMR26, which is being prepared to meet the new technical regulations, which is led by Formula 1's most successful designer, Red Bull exile, Adrian Newey

The initial updates to the AMR25 are viewed as calibration tools for the new wind tunnel, which is still in the early stages of operational use. As such, the potential for performance gains in the short term remains uncertain.

Despite this, the upcoming races will serve as an important benchmark for the team. The next three Grands Prix will indicate whether Aston Martin can make progress with the AMR25 this year or if Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll will continue to face a challenging campaign, one year ahead of the team’s ambition to fight for the Formula 1 World Championship.