SUMMARY
- Aston Martin blurs rear of their 2024 car.
- Key Brawn GP engineer teases return to F1 with Aston Martin.
We saw Aston Martin make a lot of major developments in 2023. While they struggled for points in 2022, they were able to achieve consistent podiums in 2023. This allowed them to get some good points on the board.
As the teams prepare for the 2024 season, Aston Martin seems to be working on something special with the diffuser. They even blurred the diffuser of the car as it was shot during the team’s first outing with the AMR24. The team will be hoping to take the fight for the Championship sooner rather than later.
Why did Aston Martin blur the diffuser of their 2024 car?
Clearly, Aston Martin has something to hide at the back of the car. However, we cannot be certain as to what it is. But, a recent photo was found of Masayuki Minagawa with an Aston Martin jacket in the background.
Masayuki Minagawa was credited for coming up with the idea of a double diffuser for Brawn GP. They were the first to introduce the innovative aerodynamic element to the F1 car in 2009. This element gave the team the edge and they were able to win a number of races and the Championship that year.
Aston Martin blurred the rear diffuser of the AMR24
Don Dan Fallows cooking hard.. pic.twitter.com/zxgmsVm9io
— Aston Martin F1 updates (@startonpole) February 18, 2024
If Masayuki Minagawa had joined Aston Martin, there is a chance that he could have come up with another idea to develop the car. He could have found another loophole in the regulations to unlock that bit of performance in the car.
However, it is possible that Masayuki just bought one of the Aston Martin jackets from the store. Along with that, he also had merchandise from Honda Racing, Williams Martini, and Caterham. Hence, it is possible that he is just posting a photo with his purchased merchandise in the background.
Why is the double diffuser deemed illegal in F1?
After Brawn GP revealed the loophole in the season opener, the rest of the teams were quick to follow. However, after the 2010 season, F1 decided to ban the double diffuser. The element gave an unfair advantage to some of the teams in F1.
The latest post by Masayuki Minagawa, the Honda engineer who invented the double diffuser for Brawn GP
Yes, this is Aston Martin T-shirt pic.twitter.com/HOYmFwevSp
— Aston Martin F1 updates (@startonpole) February 18, 2024
In order to gain the maximum advantage of the double diffuser, the teams had to limit their overall car designs. Hence, the FIA decided to ban the double diffuser from the 2011 season. This allowed Red Bull to dominate the sport until the 2014 season when Mercedes took over.
There is no doubt that the Championship would have looked different if the double diffuser was not banned. The ban continues till date. So we expect the double diffuser to be absent from Aston Martin’s 2024 car.