Valtteri Bottas claims to have heard a surprising rumor about the new Aston Martin. The Finn fears a spectacular leap forward from his rival.
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The immense evolution that Aston Martin will introduce this weekend in Hungary is fueling all speculation in the paddock.
Among the most curious is Valtteri Bottas, who admits to having heard a particularly astonishing rumor regarding the extent of the changes made to the AMR26.
An almost entirely new car?
After deliberately postponing all its developments since the start of the season, Aston Martin arrives at the Hungaroring with a major package intended to relaunch a campaign that has been very complicated so far.
According to several pieces of information circulating in the paddock, the gain could be considerable. Bottas admits that rumors are rife.
“Yes, there are a lot of rumors. Most say they will make a big step forward, but we’ll see once the car is on track.”
The Cadillac driver even went further by sharing a particularly surprising piece of information.
“One of the rumors I heard says that the only part kept from the current car is the front suspension. Everything else would be new.”
A progression that worries Cadillac
Cadillac has regularly gained an advantage over Aston Martin this season thanks to the continuous development of its single-seater.
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At Spa-Francorchamps, the two Aston Martins had even conceded more than two seconds to the Cadillacs in qualifying, even though the characteristics of the Belgian circuit particularly highlighted the limitations of the Honda power unit.
Mike Krack confirmed that the evolution introduced in Hungary includes a significant aerodynamic redesign as well as a lightening of the car.
Some estimates suggest a gain of up to two seconds per lap, although this value remains to be confirmed on track.
“I’m a little worried”
Bottas admits to following this evolution with great attention, but this curiosity is accompanied by a certain concern.
“I’m very curious to see what it will bring. And at the same time, I’m a little worried. If they make a huge leap forward, we’ll find ourselves at the back of the grid.”
However, the Finn refuses to be distracted by his opponent’s potential progress.
“Ultimately, we must above all focus on our own work. We must not waste our energy thinking about others.”
The first free practice sessions of the Hungarian Grand Prix will quickly reveal whether the many rumors surrounding the new Aston Martin were founded… or largely exaggerated.
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